Taking Chances
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Elphaba and Fiyero have finally admitted their feelings. Elphaba knows that she's taking a huge chance on both Fiyero and herself. Will it pay off? Sequel to "Falling In". Please read Author's Note! Shiz-era, AU, musicalverse, Fiyeraba
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AUTHORS NOTE: Hello! So, finally, a month later (I think) here is the sequel to **_**Falling In. **_**If you haven't read that, it might make more sense to read that first, but I don't think it's 100% necessary. First of all I hope you all like this- it is officially the longest fanfic I have ever written. 44 chapters people!**

**For all those waiting for more of **_**Once Upon a Time, **_**I apologise, I am working on more I promise you, but this story demanded all my energy and I couldn't tear myself away. **

**During **_**Falling In, **_**I requested you all (when you review), tell me which moment/line you especially liked. If you don't mind, I'd love for you to do that again. That is because I suffer from a condition called "Author-can't-remember-what-she-wrote" and I don't have time to re-read my own writing. **

**DEDICATION: This story is dedicated to my wonderful FF friends, Julia-Caesar and Hedwig466. I want to thank you both **_**so**_** much for encouraging me when I had writer's block; cheering me up when this story was really depressing me; making me go eat when I was so busy writing I forgot so I didn't starve; and being amazing friends. You both know how much this story affected me whilst I was writing it, and I'm really grateful for everything. **

**Taking Chances**

**By phoenixgirl23 **

**1**

The carriage pulled to a stop and Galinda Upland- of the Upper Uplands stepped out eagerly. Although she couldn't honestly say she was glad to be back at school, she was glad that she could finally see her friends again, after two months of only letters. It was even worse knowing that her closest friends had spent the last three weeks of vacation together in Munchkinland whilst she had been at home.

Galinda couldn't wait to get up to her dorm and see Elphaba again, and demand all the details of the past three weeks that she had missed out on.

She wasn't expecting to see Fiyero sitting on the dormitory steps, clearly waiting for someone.

"Fiyero!" she cried out in surprise. "Oh, it's so good to see you! Er, what are you doing?" she frowned in confusion.

Fiyero stood up, an odd expression on his face. "I- I was actually waiting for you," he admitted. "Fae said you were coming today."

Galinda beamed. "That's so sweet! You didn't have to do that. Actually," she grimaced apologetically. "It's not that I'm not glad to see you, Fiyero, but I was really looking forward to catching up with Elphie. We haven't seen in each other in so long, and I have _so _much to tell her. By the way, is she okay? With her head and ankle and everything? Because you know she'll just say she's fine, even if she's not."

Fiyero suppressed a smile. After two months, he'd forgotten how enthusiastic Galinda could be.

"She's fine," he assured her. "No lasting damage. But actually, Glin- I wanted to talk to you about something before you saw Fae."

"Ok," Galinda said slowly, still confused. "What about?"

Fiyero took a deep breath and motioned for her to sit with him on the steps. "Glin… you and I are friends, right?"

"Right," Galinda confirmed, as she gracefully sat down beside him.

"Even though we went out?"

This conversation was so far not enlightening Galinda's confusion. "Right," she said again.

"How serious would you say our relationship was?" Fiyero asked her.

The question surprised Galinda and she had to think about that for a moment. On one hand, she and Fiyero had only dated for two months, on the other- she had sworn to Elphaba the first night they'd met that one day they were going to be married.

"Well, I think was definitely _your_ most serious relationship," she said honestly, with a smirk that would have made Elphaba proud. "But as a whole, not too serious. I think it's better now that we're friends. Why do you ask?" she asked warily, wondering if perhaps Fiyero was here to ask her to rekindle their relationship.

Fiyero paused, wondering how exactly to word this. In the two hours he'd been waiting for Galinda to arrive, he'd mentally had this conversation a hundred times, but every time it just made him sound really stupid.

"I haven't really dated much since we broke up," he began.

"Or at all," Galinda interrupted.

"Yes," he nodded, before continuing. "See, the thing is Glin- there's someone…" Fiyero cringed inwardly, he had no idea what he was saying.

"I have feelings for Elphaba," he said finally in a rush, watching her carefully out of the corner of his eye.

As expected, Galinda looked surprised. "What?"

"I have feelings for Elphaba," Fiyero repeated.

"You and Elphaba?"

The idea had never occurred to Galinda. "When did _this_ happen?"

Fiyero hesitated, before answering honestly. "For a while now."

"How long is 'a while'?" she asked him. "Weeks?"

"Months," he admitted.

Galinda was stunned. Months… suddenly, things clicked into place and she turned to Fiyero, gaping.

"When you broke up with me, you said you wanted to concentrate on your studies. And then you asked Elphie to tutor you. You were so… moodified, and all that time thinking… were you and her- all this time, behind my back?"

"_No!"_ Fiyero burst out in horror. "Galinda, it wasn't like that! Well, it was… but it wasn't," he corrected himself, stumbling over his words.

Galinda looked stung. "Fiyero, tell me the truth," she demanded coldly and Fiyero winced.

"The- the day Dr Dillamond was fired… the replacement professor brought in a Lion Cub in a cage. Fae- Elphaba got mad and… I don't know what happened. Everyone sort of went into a trance, they couldn't control their movements. Elphaba and I were the only ones not affected, so we grabbed the cage and ran. We went to set the Cub free," he explained.

"We were still dating then," Galinda said quietly and Fiyero nodded.

"Yeah. We- uh, we let the Cub loose in the forest. And we were talking… Elphaba thanked me for what I did. She said it proved that I wasn't as shallow and self-absorbed as I pretended to be."

Fiyero gazed out over the grounds as he spoke, remembering that moment. It was far easier than looking at Galinda.

"I tried to bluff my way out of it, and she called me on it. She said I was unhappy. Glin- I _was_ unhappy," he admitted, turning to his ex-girlfriend.

"I was so miserable, trying to keep up that 'dancing through life' charade. Just because it's easier not to think, doesn't actually make life better," he sighed. "I think you know that as well as I do. Being popular and perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. It scared the crap out of me, Glin. Elphaba barely knew me, but she _knew _me… does that make any sense? So, I went to leave and she grabbed my hand…"

Galinda looked over and saw him lightly run his hand over his other palm, as though he could still feel Elphaba's touch.

"Did you kiss her?" Galinda demanded, horrified at the images in her brain of her boyfriend and best friend betraying her in such a way.

"No," Fiyero said firmly, trying to keep a note of regret out of his voice as he confessed that fact. "But I wanted to."

He took a deep breath and turned to Galinda, waiting until she met his gaze. "I panicked and ran off. Because I remembered about you-"

"Oh, how kind of you, to _remember _your _girlfriend," _she said icily and Fiyero sighed.

"I tried, Glin. I tried so hard to get Elphaba out of my head and focus on you. Because, I did- I _do_ care about you. And we're perfect together, remember?" he said with a faint smile which Galinda shot down with a glare.

"I didn't want to hurt you. That's why I ended it. It wasn't fair of me to be with you when I was thinking of Elphaba."

"So, _why_ are you telling me this?" Galinda asked finally, trying to process all of this.

Fiyero turned to her matter-of-factly. "I promise you Galinda, I never acted on my feelings for Elphaba. Mostly because I never imagined she'd feel the same way. I figured at least if I was her friend, that would be enough and I wouldn't hurt you or risk losing Elphaba. You know how hard it is to get close to her. But these past three weeks… things changed. I want to be with Elphaba and I finally got up the nerve to tell her that."

Galinda was silent for a long moment. "And… and does Elphie… feel the same about you?"

Fiyero couldn't help but smile at the fact that yes, Elphaba _did _feel the same. "Yeah. I mean, we haven't… labelled it as yet, so much… but I think, I think she does."

Galinda didn't know what to think. It hurt to think that her boyfriend had broken up with her, never minding how long ago it was, because he wanted to be with her best friend.

"But why are you telling _me?" _she stressed.

Fiyero's answer was simple. "Because you're Elphaba's best friend, and she would never do anything to hurt you. And no matter her own feelings, that includes dating your ex-boyfriend if you're not completely okay with that idea."

Galinda was overwhelmed with a wave of gratitude for her best friend. "Oh, Elphie!" she sighed.

"I know… I know you must be feeling hurt and angry right now, but I'm begging you Glin… please, gives this some thought. Because Fae… she's amazing. You know how amazing she is, and what she's been through and everything she is. And you should know, if you know her at all, you should know she will do anything she can to keep from hurting the people she loves. And she does love you, you're her best friend. She wouldn't think twice about cutting me completely out of her life if you asked her to. But please, Glin- I'm not as selfless as she is. And I'm asking you to give this a chance, because I can't not have her in my life."

Fiyero knew he might be being a little overdramatic, but it was true- he didn't know what he would do if Galinda was too upset about the idea of him and Elphaba being together. He had no doubt that Elphaba would stay as far away from him as she could, no matter how much it hurt either of them.

Galinda thought he was being slightly overdramatic too, but that appealed to her. When she looked over at Fiyero, she saw the urgency and imploringness on his face and that softened her. Galinda was a hopeless romantic and she could see how deeply Fiyero's feelings for Elphaba ran.

"You really like her, don't you?" she asked softly and Fiyero nodded, avoiding her gaze.

Then she turned to Fiyero. "What in Oz's name happened in Munchkinland?"

Fiyero shrugged. "I told her how I felt. It kind of went from there."

Galinda looked disappointed. "That's not a very romantic story. You'll have to change that to tell other people."

Fiyero laughed. "What?"

"Fiyero! You need to have a really romantic story about how you fell in love! The story about how you get together with someone says a lot about them. And then, if you decide to propose, that's even more important-"

"Glin!" Fiyero exclaimed, exasperated. "Do you want to not talk about proposing just yet? Fae and I haven't even really gone out yet and you're trying to marry us off? Oz, you sound just like my father."

Galinda's eyes lit up. "Oh my Oz! I forgot- she's already met your parents! That's huge!"

Fiyero felt overwhelmed. "So does this mean you're okay with this?"

"No, not completely," she admitted. "And I don't like the thought of what will happen if it doesn't work out between you. But… you and Elphie… I never really thought about it. But I wouldn't want to be that friend who stopped my best friend from being happy. So, if she really does feel the same way, I want her to be happy."

Fiyero smiled warmly at her. "That's sweet of you, Glin."

She shrugged and grinned. "I know! That's what makes me so nice!"

When Galinda left Fiyero, she left the carriage driver unloading her trunks from the carriage and hurried upstairs to the dorm room she shared with Elphaba. Flinging open the door, she startled Elphaba, who was lying on her bed reading.

"Elphie!" she squealed excitedly. "Hug me!"

Elphaba laughed, even as she obediently closed her book and sat up. "Hi, Galinda. Good trip?"

"Oh, I missed you!" Galinda practically sobbed as she hugged Elphaba tightly.

"I can tell," Elphaba said, her tone slightly constricted from a lack of oxygen, but she smiled despite herself.

"Oh! Before I forget," Galinda said as she pulled away. "I saw Fiyero- he said to tell you he's picking you up at six."

The look on Elphaba's face was priceless. "Wait- you... Fiyero… what?" she asked finally and Galinda giggled.

"I ran into him outside," she explained.

Elphaba looked guilt-stricken. "Galinda, I'm sorry," she began and Galinda cut her off with another hug.

"Elphie! I can't believe you would have been willing to not date Fiyero if I wasn't okay with it! That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me! Now, I want to know _everything _that happened with you and Fiyero this summer!"

"Everything?" Elphaba asked warily.

"Everything," Galinda replied, sitting down on Elphaba's bed and looking up at her expectantly.

"Galinda, are you sure?" she asked uncertainly. "I know this can't be easy for you-"

Galinda held up her hands firmly. "Elphie, please. I'll admit, the idea is a little strange," she admitted. "But from this moment on, I'm not being 'Fiyero's ex-girlfriend', I'm just your best friend. And my best friend in the whole of Oz is happy and beginning a new relationship. So, as your best friend, I want to know _all_ the details!"

Elphaba groaned slightly and sat down beside the blonde. "Galinda, I don't know…"

"Well, you do like him, don't you?" Galinda pressed and Elphaba blushed uncomfortably, awkwardly glancing at the door as the carriage driver began bringing in Galinda's trunks.

"Yes," she admitted quietly. "He…" she laughed. "He's either annoying the hell out of me, or making me blush… and the whole thing is awkward and terrifying…What happens if it doesn't work?"

"Well, it didn't work out between Fiyero and I, and we're still friends, aren't we?" Galinda pointed out. "Although I'm not half as stubborn as either of you two," she added thoughtfully and Elphaba sighed.

"True," she admitted. "It's just… he really seems to actually like me."

She seemed almost confused by that and Galinda giggled. "Elphie, you're hopeless. Now, you tell me everything while I unpack, and then I'll help you get ready for tonight! Although…" she frowned. "I don't like that I'm the last to know about this. Fiyero told me Boq already knows and Nessa knows too."

"Nessa only thinks she knows something," Elphaba assured her. "She doesn't really know anything."

That appeased the blonde. "Oh, good."

So, as Galinda unpacked, Elphaba reluctantly told her what had happened while Fiyero was staying with them over the summer. At first she just gave a vague summary, but Galinda pressed for particulars about seemingly insignificant details until she was satisfied. She wanted almost a day by day recap, which didn't really work because what Elphaba deemed important and what Galinda deemed important were very different things.

"Does it really matter what my dress looked like?" Elphaba asked in exasperation when she finally got to the night of the party in Munchkin City.

She'd told Galinda pretty much everything, except that she had sung at the dinner party, and that she was not mentioned on her mother's tombstone, because she knew it would upset her. But Galinda had been pleased that Elphaba had told Fiyero about her mother's death and that Fiyero had agreed with her that it was not her fault.

"I told you that ages ago," she scolded gently. "So, stop saying that."

Elphaba only smiled faintly. Pretty much the only thing Galinda had not asked for details on was Elphaba's injury, she'd already gotten all the information about that from Fiyero. But Galinda had still tutted disapprovingly and examined Elphaba's head, even though there was no remaining mark or scar.

"I still can't believe you did that. It was really brave, Elphie. But Fiyero almost gave me a heart attack when he wrote to me."

Elphaba scowled. "He shouldn't have done that. I could have told him you'd be worried and there was no need for you to be."

"You had a _concussion_," Galinda reminded her pointedly. "They can be very serious."

"But I'm fine, Glin," Elphaba replied patiently. "And I _would_ have told you, just not through a letter. I was going to wait until I saw you."

"Yes, but you wouldn't have told it right," Galinda said dismissively. "At least this way I got all the details."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Thank Oz for that," she said sarcastically and Galinda giggled.

"Now, tell me about your dress!"

When Fiyero knocked on the door at exactly six o'clock, there was a moment's pause before the door opened and Elphaba was standing there, smiling rather self-consciously at him. Fiyero couldn't stop a broad grin from spreading over his face at the mere thought he was here, picking up Elphaba Thropp for a date.

"Hi," he said finally and she chuckled.

"Hi. Did we not go over the idea of actually asking for dates, rather than just arranging them?" she asked in amusement and he shrugged casually.

"I was sure you'd say yes."

"Not just pretty sure?" she teased.

Fiyero laughed. "Nope. I was one hundred per cent confident."

There came an irritated huff and then suddenly Galinda was there, pushing Elphaba out the door and thrusting her bag at her.

"Ok, this is all very sweet but you two need to go now," the blonde ordered them and as soon as she'd pushed Elphaba clear of harm's way, she shut the door on her roommate's face.

Elphaba was stunned. "Did I just get kicked out?" she asked Fiyero, who laughed again.

"I think so."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and sighed. "And I actually missed her this summer?"

"Yes," Fiyero grinned, then leant down and kissed her softly.

When he pulled away, she looked up at him. "Because you can?"

"Because I can," he nodded gleefully and she blushed slightly.

He gestured to the closed door. "How do you think Glin is?"

"I think she's putting on a brave face," Elphaba said slowly. "But I think she will be fine with it."

"Fake it until you make it?" Fiyero suggested, the philosophy he had used in his studies for years and Elphaba smiled in agreement.

"So, where are we going?" she asked him and he shrugged.

"Wilted Rose?" he suggested, naming the local off-campus restaurant, and Elphaba agreed with a smile.

"Sounds good."

When they reached the restaurant however, they ran into a small complication neither had foreseen- that the place would be full of Shiz students. Elphaba instinctively tensed in trepidation, but Fiyero merely took her hand firmly and led her inside.

As Elphaba had been expecting, as soon people saw Fiyero Tiggular holding hands with the Artichoke, they began staring and the less discreet ones, whispering behind their hands. Fiyero ignored them all and led Elphaba to a table in the corner of the room, away from most of the prying eyes. Elphaba couldn't see them once she was sitting down, but she could still feel people's eyes boring into the back of her head and she couldn't help but tense awkwardly.

"Fae?" Fiyero said gently and she looked up at him, slightly startled. "Just ignore them," he said firmly and she sighed.

"Right. Ignore them. I swear they're worse than the Munchkins," she complained and Fiyero grinned.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Ignore them," he repeated, meeting her gaze fixedly and Elphaba let out a deep breath.

"Ok," she agreed simply and Fiyero's smile widened, making Elphaba's stomach flip.

Fiyero, to her surprise and pleasure, didn't release her hand as he picked up his menu.

"What do you feel like to eat?" he asked her and Elphaba turned her attention to her own menu.

Once the other people in the restaurant realised that the couple were neither paying them any attention or doing anything particularly interesting that could be used for campus gossip, they blissfully returned their eyes to their own meals and conversations.

Elphaba had ordered the Wilted Rose's famous chicken salad sandwich, and Fiyero chose spaghetti.

"How is it?" she asked after a few bites, just to break the silence.

Fiyero shrugged. "Pretty good. Yours is better," he grinned and Elphaba laughed.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Fiyero," she said teasingly and Fiyero shrugged.

"It's true," he insisted and Elphaba shook her head with a small smile.

They talked easily as they ate and Elphaba was glad to find it was no more different than it had been over the summer. In some ways, it was even better, because there was no Frex there, listening and watching and making Elphaba think about everything she was saying.

The main struggle for Elphaba was trying not to bring up books or school work, Galinda had told her very sternly that afternoon that these were not appropriate date-discussion conversations. But she couldn't think of anything else to talk about, so she willingly let Fiyero control the conversation.

Of course, it didn't take long for Fiyero to notice this, but he knew how nervous this whole idea was for Elphaba, so he didn't bring it up. But as they were waiting for the waitress to bring over their coffee and dessert, he spoke up.

"I ran into Madame Morrible this afternoon."

Elphaba smiled wryly. "I bet that was a fun experience."

He chuckled. "She wanted to remind me that my summer work is supposed to be delivered to her office personally by first class tomorrow."

She grinned. "It's clear she has so much faith that you've completed the work."

Fiyero pretended to look injured and she rolled her eyes. "Yero, are you telling me you would have got the work done if you hadn't come to Munchkinland?"

Fiyero considered that for a moment and then shrugged. "Maybe. My Dad was certainly nagging me enough about it," he grimaced and Elphaba laughed.

"So, what did you do all summer? Besides not do school work?"

Fiyero shrugged again nonchalantly, trying to think of the best way to say '_think about you'_ that didn't make him sound like a crazy stalker or lunatic. Unfortunately, his brain must still not have been used to actually thinking- either that, or his brain just hated him for making it think because he opened his mouth and blurted out,

"Thought about you."

He froze instantly, inwardly cringing. He didn't know how Elphaba would take that, she was still so shy and uncomfortable whenever he was open about his feelings for her. Sure enough, Elphaba blushed and lowered her eyes, but he noticed a small smile crossing her lips.

When they left the Wilted Rose to head back to the campus, there were still a few groups of curious students lingering over long empty cups of coffee who were trying to have _something _to contribute to the gossip mill when classes resumed about the apparent new romance between the Vinkus prince and the green girl.

"So, I don't get it. Are they dating now?"

"When did this happen?"

"What does he see in her?"

"What about Galinda? Her ex-boyfriend dating her roommate? That's not cool."

Fiyero heard the whispers and murmurs and gritted his teeth. It was like Munchkinland all over again, and either Elphaba hadn't heard what they were saying or she was pointedly ignoring them. But this time, he thought with a sudden flash of inspiration, he could do something about it.

Elphaba went out the door first, and as she stepped into the street, she turned to Fiyero. She didn't have time to do or say anything before Fiyero had stepped forward, cupped her jaw in his hands and firmly yet gently kissed her. It was a long kiss that left Elphaba unable to breathe, partly because she hadn't had time to take a breath before he'd kissed her, and partly because she couldn't get her brain to form words, let alone take a breath.

She wasn't the only one rendered speechless, when they finally separated, she could see Shiz students from the corner of her eyes, gaping at them through the windows.

"What- what was that for?" she managed to say and Fiyero softly kissed her again in reply.

"Because I don't need a reason," he replied simply.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**2**

There was no doubt in Fiyero's mind that this was the most serious relationship he had ever been in, which was a new experience for both him and Elphaba. He was very aware that he did not want to screw this up or move too fast. Elphaba, being the rational person she was, as well as being just as nervous about the whole thing as Fiyero was, agreed with his unspoken suggestion to take things slow.

The thing was, Elphaba felt as though she only just mastered the whole friendship-thing, but being a girlfriend was a whole different relationship. There was now another level that she and Fiyero had to get to know one another on, emotionally and physically and Elphaba could feel all of Shiz watching her and waiting for her to screw it up. Fiyero had far more confidence in her, and never stopped reminding her or showing her he didn't want her to be anyone other than who she was.

Galinda, once she had gotten used to the idea, was their biggest supporter, and had decided unofficially that Elphaba and Fiyero would soon be married, live happily ever after and name her godmother to their children. Elphaba only rolled her eyes, remembering what her best friend had believed as equally fervently when she'd first met Fiyero. Fiyero was slightly wary and uncomfortable of the fact that his ex-girlfriend seemed to be more enthused about he and Elphaba dating than even he and Elphaba.

Galinda didn't see it that way. "What gives you that idea?" she frowned at Fiyero one day when he'd brought up the subject.

Fiyero gave his friend an exasperated look. "Galinda, you asked us to _re_-_enact_ our first date!"

"Not the whole date," Galinda protested. "Just the part where you kissed her on the street. Because I missed it, but Shen-Shen said it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen, and I _missed _it!"

Fiyero sighed. He didn't regret what he'd done outside the Wilted Rose that night, but he wasn't quite sure how to take the fact that the story had been all over campus by their first class on Monday morning, and three weeks later, was still a huge topic of discussion.

Galinda paused for a moment, and then grimaced. "Maybe the re-enactment was a bit much, right?"

"A little," Fiyero agreed.

Galinda sighed. "But I'm just… I'm so genuinely thrillified for you two, you really are so good together. But I've hardly actually seen you together as a couple. Neither of you acts like a couple, yet. _You_ grin like an idiot whenever Elphie's in the room and won't stop staring at her; and Elphie blushes and goes all shy- which is so _odd_, by the way… but getting information out of her is like pulling teeth."

Fiyero smiled at her expression. The two were heading over to the Wilted Rose to meet Elphaba, Boq and Nessa for coffee one afternoon after classes. Fiyero had been called into a meeting with Madame Morrible and Galinda had been flirting with a senior boy and only remembered about the meeting when she'd seen Fiyero pass by.

"It's only been three weeks, Glin," he reminded her, making sure no one was in earshot. "We don't want to rush anything- there's too much to lose if this gets screwed up," he said and Galinda laughed.

"Fiyero, you're talking like it's a big test or something."

"It is to Fae," Fiyero said quietly, stopping in his tracks and turning to Galinda. "And she's terrified she's going to fail. You don't really know what it's like for her at home, Galinda. Her father doesn't give her credit for anything or even let her be herself. She's been brought up that she has to be this perfect sister, daughter, maid, cook, everything but nothing she does is ever good enough for him. And now she feels she has to add the role of 'perfect girlfriend' to the list, and I really think a part of her feels that if she's not, I'll leave her."

Galinda was horrified. "You'd never do that," she protested and Fiyero smiled faintly.

"No," he agreed. "And I'm working on convincing her of that. But it will take time. But when she believes it, she'll relax and hopefully she'll remember that I love her for her, exactly the way she is."

Galinda gaped at him for a moment with wide-eyes and then squealed loudly. "Oh my Oz, you _love _her! You said you love her!"

Fiyero thought about what he'd just said, and as a wave of realisation washed over him, he groaned.

"One of these days, I'm going to say something about my feelings about Elphaba actually to Elphaba before I say it to anyone else," he grumbled and Galinda made an odd noise in her throat.

"You haven't told Elphie you love her yet? But you just told me?"

He sighed. "I know. It's only been three weeks, if I told her now she'd freak out," he said miserably. "Oz, why do I keep doing this?"

"Do what?"

Fiyero grimaced. "I told her father how I felt about her and what I think about how he treats her… before I'd kind of mentioned it to Fae and she overheard."

Elphaba hadn't told Galinda that. "Oh my Oz!"

"She knew I wanted to date her," Fiyero tried to defend himself. "I told her that I had feelings for her… but I hadn't quite gotten around to the specifics of those feelings…"

"And what are the specifics?" Galinda demanded.

Fiyero had a feeling he'd unknowingly been recruited for information due to Elphaba's silence on the topic, but answered Galinda nonetheless.

"I love her," he said simply. "Even if _you_ are the first person to know that, not Elphaba, it's true. I told her father that Fae is the most amazing person I know and all the reasons I love her, and then I told him that she was better than Munchkinland and Nessa and him, which again is true. And I told him I have nothing but the purest intentions towards Elphaba, and I don't give a damn what he thinks about the idea."

Galinda's face was soft as she stared at Fiyero. "I can't believe you said those things to her father before you said them to Elphie."

"In my defence, he interrupted us before I had the chance," Fiyero grumbled, scowling at the memory. "And then he tried to say that my dating Elphaba was a bad idea because of how it would affect Nessa."

Galinda frowned as they started walking again. "What's Nessa got to do with you and Elphie dating?"

"Good question," Fiyero replied and didn't say anything else.

He didn't have to ask Galinda not to tell Elphaba he loved her before he actually got a chance to do so, he knew she'd never spoil Elphaba's first experience of hearing those words. Elphaba's happiness was just as important to her as it was to him, hence why she'd put aside her own initial awkward feelings about the situation aside.

When they entered the Wilted Rose, Elphaba, Boq and Nessa were sitting at a table, with two empty chairs waiting for the new arrivals. Fiyero immediately took the chair next to Elphaba, and surprised her by leaning over and kissing her on the cheek, which made her blush.

"What did Horrible Morrible want?" she asked him, not drawing attention to his actions and Fiyero supressed a grin as he answered her.

"To see me about my summer work."

Elphaba raised a questioning eyebrow. "What about it? Has she marked them?"

"Yep," Fiyero nodded, pulling a thick folder from his bag and handing it to her.

Again, she looked surprised. "Have you looked at them?"

"Yep."

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, _that's_ not annoying."

Fiyero laughed. "Fae, just look at them."

Elphaba opened the envelope and carefully removed the three essays Fiyero had carefully written under her supervision whilst in Munchkinland. With another brief glance at Fiyero, she flipped the first of them over to see the results. As she took in what she was reading, her jaw dropped slightly.

"Fiyero!"

His grin widened at her pleased tone, but watched apprehensively as she continued reading. He knew when she got to his history essay, she wouldn't be as pleased. At least the bright side was, her anger would not be directed at him.

"That bitch," she said quietly with a furious scowl when she saw the essay.

Nessarose was not happy with her sister's choice of language. "Elphaba!"

Boq was less fazed. "Who's a bitch?"

"Horrible Morrible," Elphaba replied through gritted teeth.

"Why? What did she do?" Galinda asked her friend anxiously. "She didn't _fail_ you, did she Fiyero?"

"No," Fiyero assured her. "But-"

"She gave you a B- minus!" Elphaba interrupted, still furious.

"I'm fine with that," he assured her but she cut him off again. "I got A's for the other two, thanks to you and a B-minus is still good."

"Yero, I watched you write that essay. I proof-read it and graded it myself. It was worth an A," she insisted.

"Did she give a reason for the B-minus?" Boq asked Fiyero, but again it was Elphaba who replied.

"Because she doesn't agree with his argument," she fumed. "Because Morrible doesn't believe that Animal rights _have _changed since the Wizard's reign. She did _nothing _when they took Dr Dillamond away, or when they brought in the Lion Cub in to class and announced they were going to keep him from speaking. So she-"

Fiyero reached over and took her hand, making her stop mid-sentence.

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" he asked her softly as she met his gaze and Elphaba's mouth went dry in a sense of déjà vu.

"I'm _fine_ with a B-minus. It's still a good grade, and it means I have enough credits to be able to graduate at the same time as you all. Morrible _does_ live up to her name in this instance, and you're right- as always, she shouldn't let her own personal beliefs sway the way she grades."

A soft smile crossed his face and he cupped her face with his other hand. "But it means a lot that you care, Fae. So, thank you."

Elphaba said nothing, but after a long moment she softened into his touch and to the astonishment of everyone at the table, she leaned over and kissed Fiyero on the mouth. Fiyero let the kiss linger for a few moments before pulling away, and barely hiding his pleasure at her actions.

Galinda was not at all successful in the same endeavour. "Oh, that is _so_ sweet!" she sighed.

Boq looked uncomfortable and Nessa looked shocked and embarrassed, but Elphaba only smiled shyly and blushed, but didn't pull away from Fiyero.

"You're welcome," she murmured and Fiyero's grasp on her hand tightened fractionally.

When Elphaba finally looked away, she was surprised to see Galinda looked disgruntled.

"Galinda?"

"If the last kiss was anything like that one, I am _so _annoyed I missed it," she complained.

Fiyero grinned at her. "Consider that your re-enactment, Glin."

Galinda gaped at him. "No, I wasn't ready! Do it again!" she begged.

"_Galinda_!" Elphaba and Fiyero exclaimed exasperatedly in unison.

Elphaba didn't doubt that Fiyero really was fine with his grade of a B-minus, but Elphaba had never been good at doing nothing when there was something not right occurring. So, the next day, she 'borrowed' Fiyero's history essay and headed over to Madame Morrible's office.

"Miss Elphaba," the HeadShizstress greeted her, looking surprised. "How can I help you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about the grade you gave Fiyero's history essay," Elphaba said bluntly, pulling the essay out of her bag.

Morrible looked stunned and disapproving. "Miss Thropp, if Mr Tiggular is unhappy with his grade, I don't see why he isn't here himself."

"Fiyero is fine with the grade," Elphaba admitted. "I'm not. Madame Morrible, I proofread and marked the essay myself before Fiyero handed it in to you. I graded it according to the marking criteria all the Shiz professors used and that you yourself should have used when marking the essay."

"I did," Madame Morrible conceded stiffly. "What is your point, Miss Elphaba?"

"According to my own personal grade, Fiyero should have received an A for this essay. I don't think it's fair to rob him of a higher grade that he's worked hard to achieve, simply because you don't agree with the subject matter of the assignment."

Morrible's eyes flashed momentarily. "Excuse me?"

Elphaba flipped to the final page of the essay to look at the comments Morrible had written. "You commented that Fiyero's argument seemed to be suggesting that Animal rights had changed for the worse under the Wizard's rule but he provided a lack of proof for those claims. Madame, Fiyero's reference list is _two_ pages on its own of sources substantiating his argument. And the biggest proof, even though it's not in his essay, is the fact that Animals like Dr Dillamond have been forcibly removed from their positions of employment. Fiyero never claimed that the Wizard was directly responsible for any of the Animal banns, simply that they have been gradually occurring throughout the Wizard's reign. And I don't think it's very professional for the marker to be swayed by their own personal beliefs."

Morrible's lips were in a tight smile as she regarded Elphaba. "Thank you for your concerns, Miss Thropp. If you would like, I shall look over Mr Tiggular's essay again and reconsider his argument."

Elphaba looked satisfied as she handed the essay to the HeadShizstress. "Thank you, Madame. Good day."

Elphaba left the office with her head held high and headed for the library, where she met Fiyero coming out.

"Hey, I was looking for you. Where were you?" he asked her and she hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I went to see Madame Morrible."

Fiyero frowned. "Voluntarily? Why?"

"I asked her to re-mark your history essay," she explained and Fiyero was startled.

"What? Fae, you didn't have to do that," he protested but she cut him off.

"Yes I did. You deserve an A for that essay, Fiyero. And if I have anything to say about it, you will," she replied defiantly.

Fiyero was completely amazed by what she'd done. That she truly believed in him that much, to ask Morrible to reconsider the grade… he couldn't put it in words what that meant to him.

"I love you," he said without thinking and Elphaba looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What?" she replied shakily and Fiyero swallowed hard, wondering if he'd just done what he'd told Galinda he was worried he would and kicking himself mentally.

But there was no going back now. "I love you," he repeated stepping forward and Elphaba looked wary.

"Do- do you mean that?" she asked him faintly and Fiyero actually laughed.

"Do I mean it? Elphaba, I- I've been in love with you for so long, I can't even think straight," he rambled, Elphaba's stunned look making him nervous.

He wasn't the only one that couldn't think straight, as Elphaba's brain tried to comprehend the fact that he loved _her_.

"I love you too," she whispered imperceptibly and Fiyero felt a strange wave of relief and giddiness at her whispered confession.

He pulled her close and kissed her, and Elphaba clung to him with uncommon fervency as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"How long?" she asked him in a murmur and Fiyero eased away so he could look in her eyes as he answered her.

"Since the Lion Cub," he admitted and Elphaba chuckled faintly, almost bursting into tears right there and then.

All that time, when she had been torturing herself with the thoughts that Fiyero could never return her feelings for him, and thinking that it was completely absurd for anyone who had dated Galinda Upland would want to be with _her_… and he had loved her. Yes, when he had admitted his feelings for her in Munchkinland she had been surprised and amazed, but for him to say he had _loved_ her, he _did_ love her… it was another experience entirely.

And it had been that same day, that same moment when it all started, that as Elphaba had come to the startling conclusion that she could easily love Fiyero; he had loved her. She couldn't say anything as she kissed him, but Fiyero understood.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. So, an old character returns in this chapter. I had to do it, even if it really has nothing to do with the story. **

**And yay for me! Seeing Wicked for my 4th time in Perth on August 16! Yes, iIam flying across the country for 1 night- and paying for my parents to go (they haven't seen it) Skipping uni for the day to do it, but SO EXCITED!**

**I think I've found in the past that the US summer is not a good time review-wise to post stories, but I never remember that. LOL. But I am very grateful to all those who HAVE reviewed!**

**3**

Galinda knew immediately something was up when Fiyero and Elphaba met the others in the cafeteria for dinner that night, and she cornered Elphaba the first chance she got.

"Elphie, are you okay? You look like you've been crying," she asked in concern and Elphaba shook her head gently.

"I wasn't crying, Glin. But…"

"But what?" Galinda pressed eagerly.

"Fiyero told me he loves me," Elphaba admitted quietly with a faint blush and Galinda was startled, not least because of what Fiyero had told her just the day before.

"Oh, Elphie! That is so thrillifying! What did you say?" Galinda questioned excitedly and Elphaba's blush deepened.

"I told him I loved him too," she disclosed and Galinda supressed a squeal.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "You don't think it's too soon, do you? It hasn't even been a month," she worried but Galinda scoffed.

"You haven't been dating for a month, but that doesn't mean you haven't loved him," she said simply. "And besides, there's no limitation to how soon into a relationship you can celebrate milestones like this."

"Milestone?" Elphaba repeated and Galinda nodded importantly.

"Of course! Elphie, this is a _huge _defining moment in your relationship! But there's no rule about when you say it. You say it when you feel it. Besides, I think it's different when you've known each other as long as you and Fiyero have. It would be different if you'd just met him and suddenly declared your love or-"

"Or said you were going to be married?" Elphaba asked innocently, and Galinda was half-way through agreeing as she realised what her friend had said.

"Funny, Elphie," she said sarcastically and Elphaba merely smirked.

Fiyero too, found himself cornered by the tiny blonde on his way back from the bathroom during dinner.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"What happened to everything you said yesterday?" Galinda demanded.

Fiyero looked sheepish. "It slipped out."

"Well, that sounds romantic," Galinda replied dryly, almost channelling her roommate momentarily and Fiyero laughed.

He explained hastily what Elphaba had done, going to Morrible about his essay and what had happened afterwards. Galinda was touched, both by what Elphaba had done and the story Fiyero told, but she was also disgruntled.

"Would it kill _either_ of you two to save some of these moments so I can witness them?" she cried exasperatedly and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

Elphaba was not taking any history subjects this semester, she had no desire to study a subject she no longer enjoyed with an inadequate teacher. And she was pleased with her decision when Boq, who was still taking the subject, informed them that their teacher had suddenly been removed, and a new teacher would be replacing him.

"See, that's just disorganized," she complained when they heard the news. Even if she wasn't taking the class, to her it was still a matter of principle that all staff and subjects should be organized prior to the start of semester.

What appeased her slightly, was that Madame Morrible had returned Fiyero's history essay to him, and had elevated his grade to an A-minus. Elphaba still thought that wasn't good enough, but Fiyero convinced her to leave it alone and she proved to be very easily distracted from the topic whenever she brought it up.

Fiyero couldn't care less about the grade, he was too completely involved in his and Elphaba's relationship. They were just a few days shy of their one-month anniversary, and Fiyero couldn't believe it had already been that long. In the past week or so, it seemed to be effortless between them and Elphaba was surprised to find that whatever shyness or awkwardness she had felt in the beginning was gone. In fact, she felt she was more herself with Fiyero than anyone.

"Elphaba!"

Elphaba turned around on her way to literature class to see Boq running towards her.

"What is it?" she asked him, startled.

"You have to come see this!" he urged her.

"Boq, we're going to be late for class," Fiyero replied and Elphaba scoffed.

"Yeah, like you care about that," she teased him and he shrugged good-naturedly.

"You do."

"Elphaba, it'll just take a minute. If you don't see this now, you'll kill me for not making you come," Boq promised her and Elphaba was intrigued.

She exchanged looks with Fiyero and Galinda, who shrugged. "The history building's on the way, we may as well detour," Galinda said and Elphaba agreed, so the three of them began to follow Boq.

"Where's Nessa?" Elphaba asked the Munchkin, who smiled.

"Don't worry, she's safe and sound in her linguistics class."

They entered the history building and Boq excitedly led the way into the classroom. The suspense was driving Elphaba crazy.

"Boq, can you just tell us-" she broke off with a gasp as she stepped into the room. "Dr Dillamond!"

She flew past Boq to the front of the classroom, leaving Fiyero and Galinda wide-eyed in shock. Sure enough, the old Goat was in front of the blackboard, and currently beaming at Elphaba.

"Miss Elphaba, how lovely to see you again," he said warmly, and Elphaba was stunned with delight.

"Dr Dillamond- I don't understand," she started and her favourite teacher nodded.

"I can't say I understand more than you, Miss Elphaba. However, I was contacted by Madame Morrible who offered me my old post back, and I couldn't refuse. I must say, I was disappointed to find your name was not amongst the list of students."

"Next semester," Elphaba promised happily and the Goat smiled.

Then he saw who was standing behind her. "Ah, Mister Tiggular and Miss G-Gl-Glinda!"

Galinda didn't even have the heart to correct him, she was so overwhelmed.

"It's good to see you again, sir," Fiyero said sincerely, even if he hadn't known him that long before his removal. But in his mind, it was because of his removal that had led to the Lion Cub, which had led him to Elphaba, so he felt a rush of sentiment for the Goat.

Other students were entering the room now, all murmuring their surprise at seeing their former teacher returned and Fiyero realised the time.

"Fae, we're going to be late for class," he warned Elphaba who nodded.

"Coming, Yero," she called over her shoulder before turning back to the Goat. "It's so good to see you again, Dr Dillamond," she said to him, who smiled.

"You too, Miss Elphaba. I expect I'll see you around campus quite often."

Elphaba beamed before turning and leaving with Galinda and Fiyero and Dr Dillamond was surprised to see his star pupil entwine hands with Fiyero Tiggular as she fell into step with him.

Boq saw his surprised look and grinned. "They've been dating for about a month," he informed the professor quietly.

"Some of my fellow faculty members mentioned a remarkable change in the studies and work ethics of Mister Tiggular, due to Miss Elphaba's influence. They failed to specify the details of that influence," Dr Dillamond said thoughtfully, but was smiling.

Elphaba was thrillified beyond words to have her favourite former teacher back on campus, even if she couldn't understand what had motivated the act.

"It's like Madame Morrible's really trying to prove a point that Animal rights _haven't_ changed," she mused to Galinda one night in their dorm.

Galinda gritted her teeth. "Elphie, that's fascinating, it really is- but work with me here!" she complained.

Elphaba smiled at her friend apologetically. Fiyero had planned a big night for his and Elphaba's one month anniversary, and Galinda had won the battle to help Elphaba prepare for the night. She was currently working on Elphaba's hair.

"One month doesn't seem like that long, I don't know why Fiyero's insisting on such a big date," Elphaba sighed and Galinda hugged her from behind lightly.

"Because he loves you. So let him spoil you," she chided gently and Elphaba chuckled.

She was wearing the purple dress she'd worn to the party in Munchkinland, which Frex had reluctantly sent to his daughter from Munchkinland, to save Elphaba the hassle of buying a new dress. Well, she said it was a hassle, Galinda disagreed. However, Galinda adored the dress and proclaimed it fitting and left Elphaba's long hair simply streaming down her back in waves.

"There! All done," she announced, stepping back and Elphaba smiled at her best friend.

"Thanks, Glin. Do you know what he's got planned?" she asked suspiciously. Fiyero had told her it was a surprise, even though he knew Elphaba hated them. The only clue she'd been given was to dress up.

Galinda shook her head, looking both frustrated and insulted. "No, he wouldn't tell me anything. You'd think he doesn't trust me to keep a secret!"

Elphaba laughed, not saying anything.

"Now, I want details when you come home," Galinda ordered her when Fiyero knocked on the door. "_All_ details, understood?"

Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes. "_Goodbye_, Galinda."

She opened the door and stepped out, shutting it firmly behind her before turning to Fiyero.

"Hi," she greeted him and he smiled at her.

"Hi. You look beautiful," he said quietly and Elphaba couldn't help but wrinkle her nose slightly in disbelief, which made Fiyero laugh as he kissed her.

"You do," he insisted and Elphaba blushed slightly, but didn't protest which was an achievement for her.

"So, where are we going?" she asked him.

"Nothing too fancy, just dinner," he assured her and Elphaba smiled softly.

"Sounds perfect."

Fiyero had made reservations at one of the many restaurants off-campus, not one too formal, but one that he and Elphaba could enjoy a romantic, intimate meal without being hassled or disturbed. Although he would love to have taken her to an exclusive, five star restaurant, he knew that too much fuss would make her uncomfortable- and besides, if he went all out after a month, he'd have nothing to surprise her with in the future, would he?

When Fiyero had first mentioned their one month anniversary, Elphaba had quite rationally asked him where they were counting from. After much discussion, they'd decided to count from the night of the party in Munchkin City, and the night they'd first kissed. Fiyero had not been happy to realise this meant they would be apart for their one year anniversary (Elphaba couldn't help but smile at his optimism they would make it to a year), and he was already thinking of inviting Elphaba to the Vinkus for the summer so he could see her.

Elphaba didn't know how to take Fiyero's confidence they would make it to a year in their relationship and beyond. It wasn't that she didn't have the same hope, but being the realistic, slightly pessimistic self she was, she couldn't help but be wary of planning too far ahead in the relationship.

But she couldn't deny how good it felt to walk into the restaurant with Fiyero beaming at her, and seeing how much trouble he'd gone to, making sure they had a perfect night. As much as she wasn't used to people making a fuss over her, the fact that Fiyero wanted to make a fuss over her, meant more to her than she could say. It was how she understood how he'd felt when she'd been so furious over his history essay grade.

She had made Fiyero agree not to buy presents earlier that week, whilst she agreed that a month was a significant milestone in their relationship, she didn't think it was significant enough to warrant buying gifts. But she had forgotten who she was talking to, so when Fiyero reached into his jacket pocket over dessert and pulled out a wrapped package and handed it to her, she wasn't completely surprised.

"_Fiyero_."

"I know, I know. I couldn't help myself," he grinned charmingly at her and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"And I'm sure you tried very hard to resist that temptation," she replied dryly, reluctantly picking it up.

Fiyero only watched her with a grin as she unwrapped it and revealed a pair of small silver drop earrings with a teardrop crystal.

"They match my necklace," she said in surprise, subconsciously fingering the necklace Fiyero had bought her over the summer, which sat around her neck.

He nodded proudly. "Yep. I found them, and I had to get them," he said somewhat sheepishly.

Elphaba looked faintly guilty. "I- I didn't get you anything," she admitted and Fiyero took her hand.

"I don't care about presents, Fae. But I wanted to get you something."

Elphaba smiled faintly, and nodded in acceptance but she still felt bad. When Fiyero walked her back to her room after dinner, she was rather quiet. But when she turned to him to say goodnight, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"Thank you for dinner. And my earrings," she told him and Fiyero kissed her with a smile.

"Would it be incredibly cheesy if I thanked you just for being you and being with me?"

"Yes and I would be forced to punch you," Elphaba replied sternly and he laughed.

"Fine. I'll just think it then. Happy anniversary, Fae."

"Happy Anniversary," she returned and kissed him once more before entering the dorm room.

The room was dark, and assuming Galinda was asleep, Elphaba crept silently across the room to her bed and switched on the lamp beside her bed. Immediately, Galinda sat upright and turned to Elphaba with eager eyes.

"So, how was it? I want to know _every _detail," she demanded and Elphaba supressed a groan.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. This may sound like something you don't really want to read about, but I promise you, it's important later in the story. As in super, mega, ultra important. **

**4**

When Galinda woke up in her dormitory one morning in October, she was surprised that Elphaba wasn't already up and nagging her to get out of bed, otherwise they'd be late to class by the time the blonde had proclaimed herself 'perfect'.

"What time is it?" she murmured sleepily to herself, wondering if perhaps she had actually woken up before her roommate- a rare occurrence.

Rolling over, she saw her best friend was sitting on her bed as she packed her bag for the day. The unusually pale tone of her face and the faint grimace of pain crossing her face did not escape Galinda's attention, even in her half-asleep state.

"Elphie? Are you okay?" she asked, sitting up in bed.

Elphaba looked up and nodded faintly. "You should get up. We've got a test first period today in Life Sciences, remember?"

Galinda frowned, making herself actually wake up. "Elphie, you don't look so good."

"Gee, thanks Glin," Elphaba said sarcastically, but her tone was weak which ruined the effect.

Galinda knew exactly what was going on with her best friend, and was both exasperated and impressed by her friend's stubbornness and dedication to her school work.

Elphaba suffered from a condition called dysmenorrhea, made worse by the simple fact she had never had a regular menstrual cycle. She could sometimes go months between periods, but when they did come, she was struck with severe, crippling pains that left her in agony. At home, Elphaba had no choice but to ignore the pain, she had too many responsibilities. But since she had known Galinda, the blonde insisted on Elphaba taking care of herself and resting, which Elphaba always protested.

"Elphie, get back in bed," Galinda urged her now, swinging the covers of herself and getting up.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'm fine. We have a test today, and it's worth forty per cent of our final grade. I'm not missing it."

Galinda sighed. "Elphie, you _know _Dr Garvoc won't mind. He'll let you sit it when you're better."

"I'm not sick, I'm just… I'm fine," she insisted, but the look on her face said a different story.

Galinda frowned. "Elphaba Thropp, get back into bed. I'm not letting you out of this room," she said sternly, standing up to her full height.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow challengingly. The two girls stood there facing off, oddly reminiscent to the early days before they were friends; before Elphaba caved and weakly sank back onto the bed. She really was in too much pain to argue, test or no test. Knowing she was risking being late for class, Galinda took a moment to make sure her friend was settled. She brought Elphaba the small medicine bottle she used to help with the pain, before giving her a hot water bottle and making sure she was warm- heat, Elphaba had discovered a long time ago, sometimes helped ease the pain.

"Try and sleep, you'll feel better," Galinda urged before leaving the room a little while later. "I'll bring you some soup for lunch."

"I'm not hungry," Elphaba argued.

"You'll feel better with something in your stomach," Galinda retorted simply. "I'll tell Dr. Garvoc where you are… and Fiyero too."

Elphaba blanched. "Don't tell Fiyero," she begged and Galinda was concerned.

"What? Why not?"

Elphaba sighed. "Glin, there are some things he doesn't need to know. Just tell him I'm sick, please?"

Galinda nodded. "Ok, Elphie. He's going to be worried," she warned. "Considering you were fine yesterday."

Elphaba sighed again. "It can be a bug or food poisoning- _anything_. He just doesn't need to know _this_, okay?"

Galinda agreed and urged her best friend to sleep as she slipped out of the room. She knew no matter what she told him, Fiyero would be worried. After two months, he was more protective of Elphaba than ever, which she found both endearing and irritating simultaneously.

"Where's Fae?" Fiyero asked her in a whisper the moment she'd sat down, after a quick whispered conversation with Dr Garvoc to explain Elphaba was ill and bedridden. As Galinda had predicted, the professor accepted that explanation without question, and told him to assure Miss Thropp she could make up the test when she had recovered.

"She's sick," Galinda whispered back.

Fiyero frowned in concern, but before he could ask any more questions, Dr Garvoc called for silence and began to distribute the exam papers.

Fiyero found it hard to concentrate on the exam, he couldn't help but wonder if Elphaba was okay. He had seen her last night and she had been fine, he didn't know how she could have gotten sick so quickly.

When they'd finally finished and had left the classroom, Galinda turned to Fiyero and Boq.

"I'm going to get some soup and take it up to Elphie."

"Glin- is she okay? What's wrong with her?" Fiyero asked quickly.

Galinda hesitated briefly, shaking her head. "Nothing serious. She'll be fine by tomorrow," she assured him.

Fiyero wasn't reassured. "I'll come with you. I want to see her."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Galinda replied seriously. She knew Elphaba wouldn't want him to see her right now.

"Why not? Is she contagious?" Fiyero demanded.

"No," Galinda smiled faintly at that thought. "But she'll most likely be sleeping. There won't be anything for you to see."

"I just want to know she's alright," Fiyero almost begged, but Galinda was firm.

"No, Fiyero. She just needs rest- and to not be disturbed."

She left him and Boq, heading for the cafeteria. Fiyero was frustrated. Even if he knew Galinda was right, that the best thing for Elphaba when she was sick was to rest, he still wanted to know she was alright. For Elphaba to miss class, to miss a test, she must be sicker than Galinda was letting on.

Fiyero didn't have a class for the next hour or so; so he decided to walk with Boq, who was headed for his logic class.

"I should have told Galinda to let Elphaba know I'll take notes for her," Boq commented.

"She'll appreciate that," Fiyero replied, knowing Elphaba would hate to fall behind.

It constantly amazed Fiyero how much work Elphaba was doing. In addition to her Life Sciences, politics, Sorcery and literature classes, she had also enrolled in logic and law classes for her second year at Shiz.

Nessa was just coming out of the classroom as the two boys approached, her linguistics class just ending, and she looked surprised to see her sister not with Boq.

"Where's Elphaba?" she asked them.

"Sick, Galinda said," Boq answered.

Again, Nessa seemed surprised. "Sick? But she was fine last night and…"

Fiyero was confused as realisation dawned on Nessa's face. "_Oh_," she exclaimed softly, realising what must be wrong with her sister.

"What? '_Oh'_, what?" Fiyero demanded and Nessa blushed.

There was no way she was going to tell her sister's boyfriend what was wrong.

"Nothing. Elphaba will be fine soon, she just needs to rest."

"People keep _saying_ that!" Fiyero complained in frustration. "Why won't you or Galinda just tell me what's going on?"

"Because it's not our place to tell," Nessa replied sharply. "It's Elphaba's business."

Fiyero sighed and turned on his heel, heading for the girls dormitories. He headed up to Elphaba and Galinda's room and knocked on the door.

Galinda looked exasperated to see him on the other side. "Fiyero, Elphie's sleeping. She's fine and she's sleeping."

"If she's fine, she wouldn't have missed class," Fiyero pointed out. "Galinda, what's wrong with her? How sick is she?"

Galinda rolled her eyes. "For the love of Oz, Fiyero," she hissed in irritation. "It's… it's her time of the month," she explained, blushing furiously.

Fiyero stared at her blankly for a moment, then realised what she was talking about.

"_Oh_. Wait- I still don't get it," he said in confusion.

Galinda sighed heavily. "Fiyero, Elphie has really bad stomach cramps. She's in a lot of pain, but she is fine."

Fiyero felt relieved to know Elphaba was okay, but also felt faintly sheepish. "Can I see her?" he asked after a moment and Galinda sighed.

"I suppose you'd better," she agreed, stepping back. "I'd hate for you to break down the door or something."

Fiyero made a face at her as he stepped into the room. Elphaba was curled up in the foetal position, dozing lightly, faint grimaces of discomfort crossing her face every few moments. Fiyero stepped over and crouched down beside her bed.

"Fae?" he asked softly, smoothing her hair away from her face.

Elphaba's eyes flickered open and she frowned to see Fiyero there.

"Yero?"

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

It took Elphaba a moment to realise that Fiyero knew exactly what was wrong with her and she blushed.

"I told Galinda not to tell you," she murmured.

"I made her. I was worried," he admitted.

Elphaba was mortified. "I'm fine," she said, avoiding his gaze until he made her look at him.

"Hey," he said firmly. "I love you. I don't want you keeping things from me, okay? No matter what it is."

Elphaba nodded reluctantly. "Ok," she agreed.

Fiyero smiled. "Good. Now, do you need anything?"

Galinda spoke up from the doorway. "Get her to eat some soup. It'll help. I need to go let Morrible know she won't be in Sorcery today."

Fiyero nodded, even as Elphaba sighed in protest.

"I'm not hungry," she said and Galinda scoffed.

"Tough luck, Elphie. Eat. I'll be back in a few minutes," she promised and then left the room.

Fiyero chuckled at Galinda's stern tone. "Come on, Fae. You should eat something," he agreed, picking up the container of soup that was sitting on Elphaba's nightstand.

Elphaba sighed again, but slowly uncurled herself and sat up. Eating a bit of soup as Fiyero sat there and watched was something she found slightly creepy.

"How was the exam?" she asked to break the silence and Fiyero shrugged.

"Fine. You'll ace it, of course," he grinned.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You can't say that for sure. One day, you'll say that and I'll fail everything. Then how will you feel?" she asked teasingly.

Fiyero chuckled. "That will never happen. Because you actually study and do the assignments."

Elphaba found she did feel a bit better after eating a little soup, and Fiyero was pleased to see colour returning to her face.

"What did you do at home when this happened?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I just did what I usually do throughout the day, but wanted to die the whole time."

Fiyero frowned. "I'm glad Glin's making you stay in bed then."

"Me too," she admitted. "I just hate missing class, especially when we have a test."

"The world doesn't stop if you miss a class, Fae."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" she teased and Fiyero laughed.

When Galinda returned, she kicked Fiyero out so Elphaba could get some more rest, and then went to run her friend a hot bubble bath.

"What will the bubbles do?" Fiyero frowned and Elphaba snorted.

"Don't ask. She's convinced they have some magical healing property," she rolled her eyes and Galinda ignored her.

Fiyero grinned and kissed Elphaba gently. "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok," she agreed with a small smile.

"And next time, just tell me- whatever it is. Please?" he begged and Elphaba sighed.

"Ok," she agreed again reluctantly and Fiyero left, reassured.

"It's sweet how much he worries about you," Galinda said quietly from the bathroom doorway.

"Sweet… annoying… strange," Elphaba sighed.

"Annoying, really? Elphie, is it so horrendible that he wants to make sure you're okay?" Galinda demanded and Elphaba felt guilty.

"No," she admitted. "I'm just… I'm not used to that. I don't know how to deal with it."

"You smile and say thank you," Galinda laughed.

"What did you tell Morrible? And Dr Garvoc for that matter?" Elphaba asked, hoping her best friend had had the common sense not to tell their teachers that she had her _period_.

"I just said it was food poisoning," Galinda assured her. "That way it's something you'll get over quick. Not that they'd think you were faking," she added quickly. "You're the last person in Oz that would fake an illness to get out of a test."

Elphaba frowned as she slowly got out of bed in preparation for her bath. "Is that a compliment?" she wondered aloud and Galinda giggled.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Kym667103- nope, that's not it! :D **

**5**

One day in late November, just after Elphaba and Fiyero's three month anniversary, Fiyero joined them in the library where they were having a study group and produced a letter from his pocket.

"I got a letter from my parents today," he began and Elphaba looked up in interest.

"How are they?"

"Fine," he shrugged. "They send you their love, etc. etc. Anyway, they've also invited you all back to Kiamo Ko for Lurlinemas."

Galinda's eyes lit up. "All of us?"

Fiyero smiled. "All of you," he nodded. "You'll come, won't you Fae?"

Elphaba looked at him as though that was a stupid question. "Of course I will. I'd love to," she replied and Fiyero grinned.

"I'm in," Galinda said immediately. "Momsie and Popsicle won't mind. Boq? Nessa?"

"I don't think Father would mind if we accepted," Nessa nodded slowly, carefully thinking about the invitation.

Fiyero knew Elphaba had no intention of asking her father for permission, but turned to Boq before she could say so.

"Boq? What do you say?"

"Sounds like fun," the Munchkin agreed. "What sort of things do you do for Lurlinemas? Is it a big deal in the Vinkus?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Yes and no. We do this big fancy dinner, I hate it."

"Why?" Elphaba asked him.

"Our cook always cooks these elaborate meals," Fiyero complained.

Elphaba was confused. "Uh, Yero? I cooked a fancy meal for the dinner party over the summer, remember?"

Fiyero sighed almost wistfully at the memory. "Yeah, that was great… but at least when we sat down I could recognise everything on my plate. I never know what I'm eating at these dinners. You'll see," he warned them and Elphaba laughed.

"Why are men so melodramatic when it comes to food?" she asked Nessa and Galinda, who giggled.

Fiyero made a face at her and pulled his literature assignment from his bag to finish writing.

"I hate this assignment," he muttered.

"What do you have to do?" Boq asked him and Fiyero sighed.

"We've been studying this book set in the Quox and Glikkus war," Fiyero explained. "Dr Caesaarwigg is really big on empathy tasks. So we have to write a diary entry as if we're one of the POW's in the same camp as the heroine of the story."

"So, why do you hate it?" Nessa questioned.

Fiyero shrugged. "I just do."

They worked and chatted quietly for a few moments, Galinda already getting excited about the holiday. Fiyero, working half-heartedly on his assignment, was startled when he heard Elphaba giggle quietly.

Because Elphaba giggling in itself was a rarity, let alone in a library, Fiyero looked at her in surprise.

"What?" he asked her in confusion and she smiled.

"Nothing. I just really doubt that whole scandalacious reputation of yours now," she smiled and Fiyero was further confused.

"What? Why?"

She pulled his assignment over towards her and began reading a sentence. "The conditions here are awful. People are getting sick or dying every day. Three women have given birth and died conceiving them."

Boq snorted in laughter and Galinda giggled. Nessa blushed, but tried to hide a smile. Fiyero frowned first at his paper, then at his girlfriend.

"Wrong word?" he asked and she nodded sweetly.

"Yeah, hon. Conceiving is what happens nine months _before_ the giving birth part," she said with a smirk and Fiyero scratched out the word quickly.

"Help me," he begged and Elphaba laughed, moving closer to him to help.

Elphaba told Nessa to write to Frex about the Lurlinemas invitation, correctly thinking that he would be more agreeable if it came from his younger daughter. Frex gave them permission to accept the invitation, although he did express his regret that they would be unable to spend the holiday "together as a family."

As he had intended, Nessa felt guilty over that, picturing their father alone in Munchkinland for the holiday, but Elphaba ignored it.

"Nessie, you want to go home and keep Father company, even though he managed being alone last Lurlinemas? Fine, go home. But I'm going to the Vinkus," Elphaba told her sister firmly and Nessa caved.

Fiyero was thrilled, he couldn't wait to introduce Elphaba to Micah and Corin, and to show her his homeland. Elphaba was excited about the idea of seeing the Vinkus, but less so when Galinda insisted they buy new dresses for the occasion to wear at Lurlinemas dinner.

"It's a _formal _dinner, Elphie- I asked Fiyero. You can't wear just anything," Galinda reprimanded her.

It was the weekend, and Galinda had dragged her roommate shopping, much to Elphaba's dismay.

"Galinda, I'm not going to find anything," Elphaba sighed, looking around the shop in distaste.

Galinda heaved a long-suffering sigh. "That's because you refuse to look. Hang on."

She disappeared amongst the racks and returned to Elphaba after a few moments, carrying a few black dresses.

"Here. Try these on. And come out and show me before you take it off," Galinda ordered sternly. "Because you may be top of the year, Elphie, but you're clueless when it comes to fashion."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Is this because I actually like that hat your grandmother sent you?"

"It's hideodious, Elphie," Galinda nodded and Elphaba cackled as she reluctantly headed for the dressing rooms.

Elphaba could admit, the dresses Galinda had picked weren't too terrible. They were black, for starters had no ruffles or sequins and didn't show too much skin. After much debate and deliberation from Galinda, the blonde gave her ultimate seal of approval. The dress she'd picked had long sleeves and sat just off the shoulders and fitted Elphaba's form perfectly. Then Galinda made Elphaba sit while she picked her own dress.

Elphaba could only imagine how long _that _would take, and was glad she'd dragged Galinda to a bookshop before they'd reached the dress shop, so she had something to read. Most of the time, Galinda didn't bother asking Elphaba for her opinion- unless it was a dress she particularly loved.

Fifteen minutes later, Galinda was off looking for yet more dresses to try on, when suddenly she let out a squeal Elphaba heard clearly from the other side of the store.

"Glin? Are you okay?" she asked in alarm, abandoning her book.

Galinda burst through the racks of dresses, holding something behind her back.

"Elphie, you _have _to try this on!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Of course this was about a dress. "Glin, I have a dress. I only need one. I'm not you."

"Well then get this one," Galinda insisted.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow, which arched even higher as Galinda revealed the dress in her arms to her.

"Green, Galinda? Really? You want me to wear green? Because I don't have enough of that already?" she demanded.

Galinda scowled at her. "Elphie, try it on. And it's not '_green'_ green. It's…"

She didn't know how to describe it actually. It was a very dark bottle green, almost black but when it caught the light the green became visible in flashes. But she stared imploringly at Elphaba until the other girl rolled her eyes and took the dress.

"This is going to look horrendible," she muttered to herself as she headed back to the change rooms. "What in Oz's name is that girl thinking?"

Elphaba was surprised by how heavy the dress was. It was made from a soft velvet and was strapless, with a slit up one side to the knee and a small train that pooled around her feet. She avoided looking at her reflection, but obediently left the dressing room to show Galinda. But when Galinda saw her, her friend's eyes widened.

"Oh, Elphie! You look so pretty! What do you think?"

"I think you've misplaced your mind," Elphaba retorted and Galinda frowned.

"You haven't even _looked_ in a mirror, have you? Look," she urged, turning her towards the mirror and Elphaba reluctantly lifted her gaze.

What she saw surprised her. As the dress was so dark, it truly almost did look black. The dress fitted to curves Elphaba hadn't known she had, and she looked… different, somehow. She couldn't quite put her finger on how.

"You have to get this one," Galinda insisted but Elphaba hesitated.

"Are you sure the green-"

"Elphie. Get it," Galinda said gently and Elphaba made a small face before nodding.

"Alright," she agreed and Galina squealed again in excitement, making Elphaba wince.

"Galinda!"

The blonde grimaced apologetically. "Sorry."

Galinda eventually picked a dress for herself, a fuchsia colour, which Galinda couldn't decide if it was more pink or purple.

"Does it matter?" Elphaba asked in exasperation and Galinda eventually sighed.

"I guess not."

Ibrahim and Kasmira had sent a carriage to take them to the Vinkus, and they left on the first day of their three week Lurlinemas break. It was a long trip from Shiz to Kiamo Ko, but they passed the time easily and made sure to make regular stops.

When eventually, finally, Kiamo Ko came into view, Elphaba couldn't hide her amazement.

"Wow," she sighed slightly and Fiyero chuckled.

"Is that a good wow or a bad wow?" he teased her and she laughed.

"I didn't know there was a bad wow."

Boq seemed almost awestruck. "We are definitely not in Munchkinland anymore," Fiyero heard him murmur quietly.

Fiyero grinned to himself as the carriage pulled to a stop and he jumped out first. When he led the group into the castle, he was pleasantly surprised to see Micah coming down the foyer staircase.

"Fiyero!"

"Hey, Micah," he greeted him, then paused. "Are we having roast lamb for dinner?"

Micah grinned at the memory. "No, at least not that I know of."

"Oh, so you're actually here to see me?" Fiyero asked teasingly and Micah's grin widened.

"Nope. I'm here to meet this girl of yours."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Typical."

He turned to where Elphaba was fussing over Nessarose, making sure her sister was warm enough.

"Fae?"

She looked up and he beckoned her over.

"Micah, this is Elphaba. Elphaba, this is Micah," he introduced them, faintly nervous.

To his credit, Micah didn't stare obviously at Elphaba's skin tone and instead smiled warmly and extended his hand.

"Hi,"

Elphaba returned the smile tentatively and gave him her hand, which he raised to his lips and kissed civilly.

"Hi," she replied cautiously.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Micah added with a grin. "I've been hearing all about you for months."

Elphaba turned to Fiyero with suspicious eyes. "What have you been telling people?" she asked him and Fiyero's mouth opened in protest.

"Actually, it's Ibrahim," Micah answered before Fiyero could say anything and smiled at Elphaba's surprised look. "I've been hearing all about your studies, and your cooking, and of course, the great influence you've been on Yero here," he clapped Fiyero on the shoulder and Elphaba blushed.

"Thanks, Dad," Fiyero muttered under his breath. "And I love how you just assume it was me telling people things about you," he said to Elphaba with a gentle scowl.

She scoffed. "Because that's not something you would do," she retorted and Fiyero shrugged admittedly.

"Yeah, okay."

Fiyero sighed and turned around again. "Everyone, this is Micah. Micah, this is Boq, Galinda and Elphaba's sister Nessarose."

They all exchanged greetings and then Fiyero wondered where his parents were.

"Are my parents floating around here somewhere?" he asked his old friend. "And is Corin around?"

"Corin's coming for dinner," Micah replied. "Your parents are around somewhere. I think your mom's making sure the guest rooms are ready, and your dad… I'm not sure."

Fiyero narrowed his eyes. "When you say Corin's coming for dinner…"

"He just wants to meet Elphaba," Micah confirmed. "And coming armed with stories about the scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular."

"Yay," Elphaba grinned and Fiyero gaped at her.

"Elphaba!"

"What?" she asked innocently, and Micah chuckled.

They heard a rustling of skirts approaching and they all looked around and saw Kasmira coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Mom!" Fiyero called and the queen smiled happily at her son.

"Hello, dear. Good trip?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

Kasmira reached her son and hugged him tightly, which Fiyero accepted resignedly before she turned to Elphaba.

"Elphaba, it's so good to see you again," she greeted her warmly, embracing her and Elphaba smiled genuinely.

"You too. Thank you for inviting us," she said but Kasmira waved her away.

"Nonsense. I said you were welcome any time, didn't I?"

Elphaba chuckled slightly, lowering her gaze and the queen smiled knowingly. "Nessarose, Boq. Lovely to see you again."

"Thank you Your Majesty," Boq replied politely.

Fiyero beckoned Galinda forward. "Mom, this is Galinda. Glin, my mom."

Galinda curtseyed and Kasmira smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you Galinda. Why don't I show you to your rooms?"

Kasmira had placed her son's friends in guest rooms along the hall from Fiyero's room and she gave them a general tour as they went. Luckily, the castle was easy to navigate for Nessa's wheelchair which Elphaba was thankful for.

After showing them to their rooms, the queen left them to settle in, unpack and freshen up before dinner. Alone in her room, Elphaba couldn't help but tingle with excitement.

**AN. As many of you know, I'm currently studying to become a high school English and History teacher. The thing with Fiyero's assignment actually happened in my history class. I was teaching Year 10 about slavery, and asked them to write a diary entry as though they were on a slave ship. And that's what one boy actually wrote- "3 women have had babies and died conceiving them." It made my day. **


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Thank you to Julia-Caesar and Hedwig466 for helping me think of Lurlinemas gifts. It worked… well, you know how well it worked!**

**And TWO WEEKS til I go see WICKED again! Could almost cry. And yes, DefyingGravity4Good, Corin is back. I love him to everyone who has reviewed/alerted. With my stress levels rising over uni, you have no idea how much your reviews help. **

**6**

Fiyero was happy to be home and at the thought of seeing his old friends again, but even more so to be able to share his home with Elphaba. After all, he had seen her homeland even though she had no particular emotional attachment to Munchkinland. When he left his bedroom and headed downstairs, he found Corin had arrived and was in the dining room, talking with Micah.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked his old friends, sitting down.

Corin grinned at Fiyero. "Micah was just telling me his first impression of your fair lady Elphaba."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Oh? In the thirty seconds you spoke to her?" he asked of Micah, his tone slightly more harsh than he'd intended.

"Well aren't we overprotective," Micah teased him.

Fiyero grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologised. "I just…"

Corin's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. "Your dad was right," he managed to say. "You really are head over heels in love with her."

Fiyero reddened slightly. "And that's funny because?"

"Because it's _you_," came the answer and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"You have to admit, Yero," Micah added. "It's a big change from the guy who swore relationships were for fools and no girl in all of Oz would ever tie you down."

"Who promised us he would never be that guy who planned romantic dates or wanted to spend all his time with a girl, and treat a girl like a queen without trying to get anything in return," Corin chimed in and Fiyero glowered at his friends.

"Well, at least it's nice to know you two were listening to me," he grumbled and they laughed.

Fiyero took a deep breath and shrugged simply. "Elphaba isn't just any girl," he explained. "Being with her… it's the easiest thing I've ever done."

Micah smirked. "Look at you. In love, not being expelled or even close to suspension, getting good grades…"

"Our little Yero's all grown up," Corin said, pretending to be all choked up.

"Why am I friends with you losers?" Fiyero demanded in exasperation, but with a grin.

There were sounds coming from outside the room, and Fiyero heard the clacking of Galinda's heels on the stone floor and knew Elphaba was there too.

"Just… don't stare at her skin, okay?" he asked Corin in a low voice, knowing he was much less discreet than Micah was and stood up.

Elphaba faltered for a moment in the doorway when she realised there was an unfamiliar face in the room, but when Fiyero beckoned her forward, she tossed her braid over her shoulder and stepped forward.

"Fae, this is Corin. Corin, this is Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland," Fiyero introduced the two girls and Corin got to his feet.

"Hello, ladies," he grinned charmingly and Elphaba couldn't stop a smirk from spreading over her face and her dark eyes flickered from Corin to Fiyero.

"What?" Fiyero asked her and she shook her head.

"Nothing. I just can see why you two are friends," she replied.

Corin frowned at Fiyero. "Why do I feel like I should be insulted by that?"

Elphaba only looked innocent and Fiyero laughed.

When Ibrahim entered the dining room, he looked thrilled to see Elphaba.

"Elphaba! How are you, my dear?"

"Fine, thank you," she replied warmly, as the king kissed her hand.

"How are your studies going? Fiyero wrote to us and mentioned you picked up some extra classes this semester."

She nodded. "I did. Logic and law. I wasn't sure about logic initially, but I couldn't resist the chance to study with Dr Geffen . His theory on cognitive reasoning is infamous."

Ibrahim nodded. "Yes, I remember reading his criticism of Savarin's Paradox and Paraconsistency, quite ingenious. He raised some interesting points."

Elphaba nodded in agreement and just like that they were involved in the finer details of different logic theories.

"I didn't even get a 'hello, son, how's school going'?" Fiyero said indignantly, trying to mimic his father's voice.

Kasmira entered the room to hear her son's comment and chuckled. "Elphaba made quite an impression on your father this summer, Yero."

Fiyero remembered what his mother had said to him over the summer, the night of the dinner party "your father adores her." It pleased him how much his parents liked Elphaba, even more so that they had liked her before they started dating.

In the week between their arrival in the Vinkus and Lurlinemas, Fiyero enlisted the help of Micah and Corin to show his friends all the Vinkus had to offer. He made a point of showing Elphaba his personal favourite places, as well as taking her to museums and places like that he knew she'd love. And to his pleasure, Elphaba loved the Vinkus. It had so much more culture and life to it than Munchkinland did and people didn't stare half as much at the colour of her skin.

"You've got it all worked out," Galinda commented to Elphaba on Lurlinemas Eve. "Lurlinemas and then your anniversary the next day! You get double the presents!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes at her friend. "No, I don't. I told Yero to get one present and it'll count for both. Only because he _insists_ on buying me anniversary presents," she sighed in fond exasperation.

Galinda snorted. "Yeah, right. Elphie, like Fiyero is actually going to do that."

Elphaba had to admit her friend had a point.

When she awoke on Lurlinemas morning, she was pleased to see that snow was lightly falling from the sky. Jumping eagerly out of bed, she opened the window and leaned out, staring up at the sky as snowflakes drifted slowly down in spirals.

Reluctantly pulling her head back inside as the cold wind made her shiver, Elphaba dressed warmly and hastily braided her hair before leaving the room. She was just outside the dining room when a strong pair of arms caught her from behind. With a smile, she turned to face Fiyero.

"Happy Lurlinemas," she greeted him and he grinned back at her.

"Happy Lurlinemas. You look cheerful," he noted and she chuckled.

"It's snowing," she informed him and he laughed.

Maybe because it never snowed in Munchkinland, but Elphaba had a particular fascination with snow, particularly falling snow. And although Fiyero would never tell her this, for fear of physical harm, he found it adorable.

"Breakfast?" Elphaba suggested and tried to move away, but Fiyero stopped her gently.

"Not yet."

Elphaba frowned. "What are we waiting for?"

"This," Fiyero murmured and pulled her back to him, drawing her lips to his.

Elphaba giggled softly but didn't protest, only wound her arms around his neck and drew herself closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

Kasmira and Ibrahim came down the stairs at that moment, intending to have breakfast and both stilled silently at the sight of their son wrapped in a tender embrace with his girlfriend.

Both the king and queen knew the stories and rumours of their son's behaviour before they'd enrolled him at Shiz, and they knew that Fiyero's behaviour in the past towards pretty girls was less than gentlemanly. It thrilled Kasmira and Ibrahim to now see Fiyero with Elphaba, even to witness such an intimate moment as this.

They had seen for themselves over the summer how much Fiyero obviously cared for Elphaba, and how protective he had been of her where her father and skin colour was concerned. But to see them now, four months later, as a fully-fledged couple, they could see that their son truly loved her.

Kasmira had been watching Elphaba subtly since her arrival at Kiamo Ko, and as a mother, it pleased her to see not only how much Elphaba had changed Fiyero, but how much Fiyero had changed Elphaba. Kasmira wasn't sure if it was only Fiyero, or the fact that she was out of Munchkinland and away from her father, but Elphaba seemed so much more… content with herself than she had during the summer and definitely more comfortable with Fiyero. There was a light in her eyes that hadn't been there when the queen had first met the green girl and Kasmira instinctively knew that was due to Fiyero.

"Ahem," Ibrahim cleared his throat loudly and Elphaba and Fiyero drew apart at the sound.

Fiyero grinned unashamedly at his parents when he saw them. "Hi, Mom, Dad. Happy Lurlinemas!"

"Happy Lurlinemas, Fiyero. Elphaba. Are you two coming for breakfast?" Ibrahim replied gravely, with a twinkle in his eye and Elphaba blushed slightly.

"Yeah, I'm starved," Fiyero said happily, taking Elphaba's hand and leading her into the dining room.

"For oxygen maybe," Ibrahim muttered under his breath and Kasmira nudged her husband in the ribs.

Breakfast was a loud and happy affair, and as soon as the last person had finished, Fiyero clapped his hands together eagerly.

"Present time!"

Elphaba stared at her boyfriend in amusement. "How old are you?" she demanded and he grinned.

"You're never too old to be excited over presents, Fae."

Her only response was to roll her eyes.

Nevertheless, they all moved to the sitting room, where there was a large decorative tree surrounded by presents. Galinda was in awe of the beautiful tree, and all the wrapped gifts beneath it, but even more so when Ibrahim settled himself on the floor before the tree in order to hand out the presents.

She knew immediately why Elphaba loved Fiyero's parents so much, because they rarely acted like royalty- they were simply Fiyero's parents…. Who just happened to live in a castle. And they were both warm and supportive of Elphaba, which made Galinda love them too.

Ibrahim and Kasmira had gotten gifts for all of Fiyero's friends, and they too, had gotten gifts for their hosts. They had given Elphaba a collection of rare books, which delighted her, even if she was completely overwhelmed by their generosity. But Ibrahim was thrilled when Elphaba hugged him extra tightly to say thank you; she knew it was the king's idea because they were books she'd discussed with him over the summer.

When he handed her a box however and she saw the tag read "To Elphaba, from Fiyero", she glanced at him warily.

"Is this for both?" she asked him, and he understood the question.

"Y-Yes," he said slowly, trying to look innocent and she raised an eyebrow at him in exasperation.

"Fiyero!"

"_Fae!"_ he whined back with a pout.

"Did I miss something?" Kasmira asked, frowning slightly.

"It's their four month anniversary tomorrow," Galinda explained. "Elphaba told Fiyero to only get one present that would account for both today and tomorrow. I _told_ you he wouldn't listen, Elphie."

"Hey!" Fiyero protested.

"Hey!" Elphaba retorted, holding up the present in question and he looked sheepish.

"Fae, just open it," he implored and she sighed, before unwrapping the paper.

Fiyero watched her face closely and saw a small confused look cross her face as she opened the box.

"What is it, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister.

"It's a rock," she answered in bemusement, holding up a rock that sat in the palm of her hand.

"A rock?" Boq asked, leaning forward to examine it closely.

"A rock," she repeated, looking up at Fiyero. "It's a rock?"

"It's a rock," Fiyero confirmed casually.

Kasmira was frowning too. "Fiyero, you might have to explain this, dear."

He shrugged. "What's to explain? It's a rock."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Happy anniversary, Fae," he grinned at her and she laughed.

"Ow!" Fiyero's grin vanished in an instant with a yelp as he was suddenly punched hard in the arm.

"Galinda! What the hell?" he demanded.

The blonde was furious. "A rock? You gave her a rock for your anniversary? Who does that?" she exploded and Elphaba laughed at her best friend.

"Galinda!"

"No! I want to know what in Oz's name possessed him to think a rock was a romantic anniversary gift!" Galinda said stubbornly.

Everyone turned their eyes to Fiyero, who reddened. "It's just a rock."

"Galinda, drop it," Elphaba said firmly as the blonde opened her mouth.

Elphaba looked over at Fiyero and flashed a smile. "Thank you."

Galinda scoffed audibly, but Elphaba ignored her.

Ibrahim picked up the next gift, which was to Fiyero from Elphaba. Fiyero took the package with a wary frown.

"I'm going to guess book," he guessed and she laughed.

"Just _open_ it, Yero."

With a wry smile and having no doubt that whatever Elphaba had gotten him, it would be better than a rock. He was really doubting that decision now, and was grateful for the second box hidden under the tree. He unwrapped the box and opened the lid.

A soft smile spread over his face as he saw what was inside. It was a small wooden carving of a lion- there being no way to tell if it was a lion or a Lion. As Fiyero lifted it out of the box, Elphaba waited for his reaction nervously, and Galinda, knowing the story, let out a soft "Aww" of contentment.

Elphaba blushed slightly as he smiled at her. "It's perfect, Fae."

Fiyero had to endure several more tense moments before his father finally handed Elphaba the second gift from him. She sighed slightly as she began to unwrap it.

"This had better be another rock," she warned him.

"It had better not be," Galinda muttered.

Elphaba's eyes widened as she found herself looking at a beautiful diamond choker nestled within the box.

"Fiyero…"

Galinda squealed as she peered over her friend's shoulder. "Now, _that _is the type of rock you should be giving, Tiggular," she exclaimed excitedly.

Elphaba looked at Fiyero in amazement. "This is way too much."

"No it's not," Fiyero insisted gently and Elphaba blushed again.

"It's beautiful," Nessa murmured, inspecting the necklace closely.

Fiyero shrugged. "I thought you might like to wear it to dinner tonight," he said and Elphaba smiled.

"Thank you," she said softly.

When there were no more gifts under the tree, the group dispersed. Elphaba walked with Fiyero up to her room, where she placed the necklace and rock on the nightstand.

"Galinda punches hard!" Fiyero complained and Elphaba cackled.

"So," she sat on the bed and looked up at him expectantly. "What's the story behind the rock?"

Fiyero stalled. "It's just a rock," he shrugged and she gave him a Look.

"Yeah, right. Fiyero, apart from Galinda, you are the biggest romantic in Oz, despite the fact you pretend otherwise. You wouldn't just give me a rock without any reason, except maybe to annoy Galinda, which I don't think you did. So, what is it?"

Fiyero was once again blown away by how well she knew him and wondered how long she had known that for. "Since when?" he asked, not needing to explain the rest of his question.

Elphaba smiled up at him lovingly as she answered. "Since you grabbed the cage with the Cub and asked me if I was coming."

Fiyero softened at the expression in her eyes as she looked at him and couldn't stop himself from stepping forward, leaning over and kissing her, entangling his finger in her braid, not particularly caring if he was wrecking it. As he deepened the kiss, Elphaba instinctively leaned back and reached up for him.

It was a few moments before Fiyero managed to pull away, not really wanting to, but knowing he had to. Elphaba's cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen, which didn't help, but he forced himself to sit beside her on the bed and take a deep breath.

He reached over and picked up the rock, turning it over in the palm of his hand.

"I guess we kind of had the same idea with our gifts," he said with a smile.

"Except for the diamond part," Elphaba said dryly and Fiyero chuckled.

"Fae, you are the only girl I know who would be happier with a rock rather than diamonds."

"Isn't that why you love me?" she replied teasingly and Fiyero kissed her softly, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb.

"One of a million," he murmured and Elphaba blushed.

"So, the rock?"

He smiled knowingly as he continued, lowering his hand. "The day after the Lion Cub… I was so freaked out because of what had happened, I went for a walk around campus to clear my head."

Elphaba couldn't stifle a giggle at that, knowing Fiyero had been at his peak of 'painless for the brainless' at that time, so him "clearing his head" was more than slightly ironic. But he only smiled at the sound of her laughter and kept talking.

"Anyway, somehow I ended up back at the clearing," he shrugged. "That's where the rock came from."

Elphaba gaped at him slightly. "The rock is from the clearing?"

He nodded seriously as he met her gaze and it was Elphaba's turn to lean over and kiss him.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling away.

"I love you, Yero my hero," she replied and Fiyero grinned as he pulled her back into his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. The menu is what I had at my uncle's wedding whilst writing this. And yes, I had no idea what on earth I was eating. And the duck story? It's true. Happened to a friend of a friend of mine. **

**7**

There were fifty people coming to Lurlinemas dinner at Kiamo Ko that night, mostly all members of Parliament, government officials and prominent Vinkuns; although there were several of Ibrahim and Kasmira's closest friends attending as well and of course, Micah and Corin.

Fiyero was well accustomed to the custom by now, but he could honestly say he hadn't had this much fun at one of these dinners in years. He, Elphaba, Galinda, Boq, Nessa, Micah and Corin had a table together, and they laughed and talked all evening.

Then, of course, there was the simple fact that Fiyero could simply not take his eyes off his girlfriend. When she'd first entered the room that evening with Galinda, wearing her new dress, the necklace Fiyero had given her that morning and the earrings he'd given her for their one month anniversary, her long black hair pinned up on top of her head, Fiyero had almost forgotten how to breathe.

Corin, always helpful, had elbowed Fiyero in the ribs. "Dude, inhale."

Fiyero had done so sharply at the sudden pain in his side, and Corin laughed at him. "What happened?"

Micah had seen Elphaba enter too, even if Corin hadn't, and he turned to his friend solemnly. "You do know you're the luckiest bastard in Oz, don't you Tiggular? If we hadn't been friends since we were eight, I'd hate you."

"Thank you," Fiyero replied cheerfully.

Corin still had no clue. "What is it?"

Micah nodded over his shoulder, and Corin turned to see, unfortunately taking a sip of wine at the same time. When he saw Elphaba, he choked on it and half spat it out.

"Dude, inhale," Fiyero grinned at his friend cockily, before striding quickly over to Elphaba and kissing her vehemently.

"You look… _so_ amazingly, incredibly, Ozdamn beautiful," he whispered to her and she blushed.

"It was Galinda," she explained. "I think I have about a million pins embedded in my scalp," she half-laughed as one hand went up to touch her hair, but he caught it and shook his head as he kissed first the back of her hand, then her palm.

"You're perfect. Inside and out," he murmured and she blushed even harder.

"Can you guys _please_ not make me cry after I spent an hour doing my makeup?" Galinda begged and Fiyero startled, completely forgetting about Galinda.

"Hey, Glin. You look gorgeous," he grinned at her and she beamed.

"Thank you, Fiyero! Doesn't Elphie look absolutely beautiful?" Galinda gushed and Fiyero grinned in silent agreement as Elphaba averted her gaze in embarrassment.

Eventually Boq and Nessa joined them, and the seven of them grabbed one of the small tables scattered throughout the room.

"You'll see what I mean about the food," Fiyero warned them as they sat and Elphaba looked amused, remembering his complaints before they'd left school.

"Yero, it can't be that bad," she rolled her eyes.

"I swear to you, I never recognise what's on the plate in front of me," Fiyero replied. "Micah, Corin- back me up on this."

Both men nodded. "Yeah, I don't come back every year for the food, let me tell you," Corin said.

When a servant came over to fill their wine glasses, Fiyero stopped him.

"Hey, Prio, what's on the menu for tonight?"

The young man recited immediately. "The entrée is a warm barbeque duck breast with a salad of watercress, witlof salad and toasted cashews with sweet soy dressing. For the main we have an oven roasted three bone lamb rack, kifler potatoes, eggplant puree, confit eschallots, gremolate and lamb jus. And dessert is a berry chocolate parfait."

Galinda's eyes practically glazed over at the mention of dessert. "Yum," she sighed dreamily.

Boq looked hesitant. "Uh, what exactly is gremolate and lamb jus?"

Fiyero pointed a finger at the Munchkin dramatically. "Exactly. I rest my case," he declared triumphantly.

Elphaba laughed. "_Please_! Like you won't eat everything on your plate regardless of what it is!"

"True," Fiyero admitted. "But I like knowing what I'm eating."

As they ate, Corin couldn't pass up the opportunity to embarrass his old friend in front of his girlfriend.

"So, who wants to hear some stories about the scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular?"

"Me!" Elphaba and Galinda said in unison and Fiyero looked alarmed.

"What? No!"

"Shush, Yero," Elphaba held up a hand to her boyfriend before turning eagerly to Corin. "Go on."

Corin looked delighted. "Well, first of all- let me separate some rumours from the facts. Our little Yero here wasn't always the smooth, charming, charismatic prince you fell in love with Elphaba."

Elphaba scoffed at that description, but quickly turned it into a cough as Fiyero turned to her.

"Sorry- continue," she said innocently, determinedly not looking at Fiyero.

Micah took over. "Corin's right, that all kicked in around the age of twenty. I'm sure you don't want to hear about the three years in between twenty and when he came to Shiz."

"But before all of that, Fiyero had a few, short, ill-fated relationships. My personal favourite, was the very lovely Miss Kheri," Corin grinned.

Fiyero groaned, knowing immediately which story he was planning on telling. "Don't," he begged but his friends ignored him.

"So, we were seventeen," Micah set the scene for them. "And Kheri was a girl in our class. She and Fiyero went out for three and a half weeks, before she broke up with him, because he was too immature and unromantic."

Elphaba's interest was piqued, knowing Fiyero as she did. "Really? What happened?"

"Ok, so we all went out with our dates to this restaurant," Corin continued. "And Kheri had ordered… something, and she had a bunch of rice left over on her plate. Now, because she was a sweet, loving girl, she thought it would be a nice gesture to arrange the rice into a love heart, for our Yero here. She did so, making a lovely heart-shaped pile of rice and casually brought this work of art to Fiyero's attention."

Micah grinned. "Fiyero looks over at her plate, takes the fork from her and rearranges some of the rice, turns back to Kheri and says 'hey look, I made a duck!'"

Elphaba snorted with laughter and she, Boq and Galinda collapsed into a fit of horrified laughter. Nessa didn't laugh, but she didn't look unamused by the story either. Fiyero wanted to die.

"_Fiyero!"_ Galinda managed to exclaim between giggles and Fiyero grimaced.

"I was seventeen!" he protested in his defence. "I was an idiot, okay? And apparently I'm not much smarter now if I'm still friends with these jerks," he muttered, glowering at Micah and Corin.

"The best part was when Kheri just sighed and said 'yes, Fiyero. That's a wonderful duck,'" Corin choked out, laughing hysterically and Fiyero sighed.

The rest of the night was a lot less humiliating for Fiyero, but not so much for Elphaba. Fiyero made sure to introduce her to pretty much everyone in the room, and especially his parents' friends, who were very much interested in the girl who had won the heart of the Vinkus prince. Elphaba found she very much liked Izanami, who was Kasmira's closest friend and the midwife who had delivered Fiyero.

Midnight came and went, and eventually it was only the young people alone in the ballroom. Elphaba whimpered slightly in pain as she kicked off her high heels Galinda had made her wear and sighed in relief as she flexed her feet.

"Tired?" Fiyero asked as he sat next to her.

She smiled faintly. "No, just sore."

She reached up and began pulling hairpins from her hair, taking advantage of the fact that Galinda was distracted talking to Micah. Corin was fiddling with a record player and Nessa seemed half-asleep, as she watched Boq eat leftover parfait.

Elphaba sighed in relief as the last pin came out and her hair fell in tangle of curls. Fiyero watched her silently, he couldn't deny that he did love Elphaba's hair- apart from her eyes it was maybe his favourite feature of hers. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly and began to braid it loosely, but Fiyero reached out and caught her hand, pulling it down to her lap.

"Don't," he said softly, and although Elphaba looked faintly surprised, she left her hair down.

Corin turned up the music and began to waltz around the room with an imaginary partner and Fiyero laughed.

"Nice footwork, Corin," he called out with a grin, and Corin raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"Well, let's see you do better, Your Highness."

Fiyero shrugged and stood, turning and holding out a hand to Elphaba.

"You owe me a dance, Fae."

Elphaba was startled. "I _what?_ Why?"

His gaze was soft as he looked at her. "Because the last time I danced with you, I had to watch you walk away."

Elphaba met his gaze as she recalled the night of the party in Munchkin City, when Fiyero had called her beautiful and she'd run off.

"I'm not putting my shoes back on," she warned him as she stood and took his hand.

Fiyero grinned as he led her to the centre of the room and pulled her into his arms. He didn't lead her in a waltz or anything fancy, he was just happy to have her in his arms.

Galinda broke off her conversation with Micah to watch them and seeing her expression, he too turned to watch Fiyero and Elphaba dance.

"It is so weird seeing Fiyero in love," he shook his head and Galinda chuckled.

"Maybe he was just waiting for the right girl," she said softly.

Micah smiled. "I guess so."

Corin came and sat beside them. "You reckon they're sleeping together yet?"

Galinda blushed and Micah was horrified. "Corin! That's really not the best time to ask that question!" he hissed and Corin looked faintly and suitably abashed.

Galinda cleared her throat. "It's okay," she assured them, still pink in the face. "Besides, I happen to know they're not. They've only been together four months."

Corin looked sceptical and opened his mouth to comment, but Galinda cut him off. "And you might say that's not important to Fiyero. But it's different with Elphie. He's different. And she's certainly not going to rush into anything like that."

"Because of her skin?" Micah asked hesitantly, not sure if that was an appropriate question to ask, but Galinda didn't seem to mind.

"Mostly," she nodded. "Elphie may seem confident and tough on the outside, but she's actually a very shy, modest and private person. Her skin is a big factor to that- most people aren't very accepting of her when they first meet her. She's not used to… being loved."

Galinda sighed sadly, that simple fact always made her heart ache for her best friend.

On the dance floor, Fiyero held Elphaba close and smiled. "Hey, Fae?"

"Hmm?"

"It's twelve twenty-three. Happy anniversary."

She chuckled faintly and kissed him gently. "Happy anniversary, Yero."

She couldn't believe it had already been four months since the night in Munchkin City. Only four months ago, she had never dreamed she could be this happy, or that Fiyero could actually love her as much as he did and exactly the way she was. Elphaba remembered back to their one month anniversary, when she had been wary of Fiyero's optimism they would make it to a year.

But now, in his arms, it didn't seem that crazy. Elphaba wasn't quite sure how she knew it, and true, the vision was hazy, but she could see a lifetime of happiness with Fiyero stretching out before them. And although that frightened her slightly, it also made her feel happy and loved. For the first time in a long time, Elphaba looked forward to see what the new year would bring.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, alerted or favourited this story. It means the world to me, even those silent ones who alert, but don't review... i'd like you to, but thanks anyway. This is the last chapter before some drama kicks in, so enjoy the fluff! Then we have some more fluff after the drama, and then... major, major drama. **

**8**

They settled into the Shiz spring semester with relative ease. Elphaba had kept her promise to Dr Dillamond and enrolled in his history class, and she thrived on learning from her favourite teacher once again, even though the class added to her already heavy workload. Fiyero couldn't help but worry, before they'd left Kiamo Ko after Lurlinemas, his mother had pulled him aside and asked him to keep an eye on Elphaba.

Fiyero had immediately panicked. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked and Kasmira shook her head reassuringly.

"Nothing, Yero. At least not yet."

"What do you mean, Mom?" Fiyero questioned and Kasmira sighed.

"I know Elphaba is a brilliant and dedicated student, Fiyero. I also know she's taken on quite a heavy load for herself this semester and she's planning the same for next semester. She just seems… tired."

"It's just mid-terms stress," Fiyero assured her and Kasmira nodded, but she didn't seem convinced.

"Ok. But… make sure she doesn't burn herself out," she warned him. "Make sure she's getting plenty of sleep, fresh air and that she eats regularly, okay? She could make herself very sick if she's too busy studying to take care of herself."

Fiyero was grateful that his mother was so concerned about Elphaba's well-being, but her warnings had scared him a little. Elphaba was so good at being strong and organised and independent, he could forget that she was just like everyone else.

When he confided this in Galinda, the blonde had agreed with Kasmira's request immediately and she'd also had an answer for Fiyero.

"It's because you love her," she said simply. "In your eyes, she's perfect. And whilst that is completely thrillifying, you'll have to be careful, Fiyero. Otherwise, when something happens and she's vulnerable or scared or something, you won't take it well."

Fiyero didn't think that would happen, but he was careful to watch Elphaba extra closely to make sure she was taking care of herself.

It was one afternoon in January in their literature class, they were discussing books written in a similar time period to _First Impressions _and the similar themes between the novels.

"Marriage is just presented as such an unromantic idea," Galinda complained to the class, always the hopeless romantic.

"That's because fundamentally, marriage was a business agreement," Elphaba pointed out in response. "That's why the concept of the dowry was developed, so that the two families could each benefit from the union. Women were swapped for land and alliances like goods at a flea market so that men could get something they needed."

"Yeah, like a decent meal and someone to keep the bed warm at night," one boy laughed to his friends in an undertone, and Elphaba turned to him.

"Sure," she agreed, to the boy's surprise.

Fiyero felt the need to interject on behalf of his gender. "Fae, you're saying no one ever married for love?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure some people did. I'm just saying marriage served a more practical function then it does now."

Galinda jumped in. "That hasn't completely changed, though. I mean, some people still have other reasons for marrying then love. Like, Fiyero- he doesn't have a choice in the matter. He'll _have_ to marry and provide an heir to the throne to keep the monarchy alive, right Fiyero?"

Fiyero froze, as all eyes turned to him expectantly, save for Elphaba's. "Uh, well… yeah, I guess," he admitted uncomfortably.

"But the Vinkus has moved on from arranged marriages haven't they?" another girl asked him curiously.

"Of course they have. You think his parents would pick the green girl?" the boy behind Elphaba demanded and Elphaba flushed.

"_Hey!_" Galinda and Fiyero demanded in unison, both their tones angry.

Elphaba stared at her desk and said nothing for the remainder of the class. Fiyero's concentration was shot. Yes, it was true he was expected to marry and provide an heir to the throne, but his parents had never even raised the idea of an arranged marriage with him, even at the worst of his 'dancing through life' behaviour. But now he wondered what Elphaba thought of that idea. There was no question in Fiyero's mind that he wanted Elphaba to be his queen one day, a realisation that had been especially clear to him since Lurlinemas.

When the teacher dismissed them, Fiyero pulled Elphaba aside, much to her surprise.

"Come for a walk with me?" he asked and she nodded, silently.

"Yero, what is it?" she asked finally, when they were alone.

Fiyero took a breath nervously. Ok, it's not like he was actually proposing, but in a way he was. This was basically his moment to state his intentions to Elphaba.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked her and Elphaba met his gaze slowly.

"Yes," she replied softly.

Fiyero's silences and nervous expression was making her very nervous and confused, which she didn't like. Fiyero, no words coming to the front of his mind to help in this situation, pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently.

"Oz, I love you," he murmured and Elphaba had to supress a wave of panic that threatened to rise in her.

"We established that," she said dryly. "Fiyero, _what_ is going on?"

He took a deep breath before answering. "Galinda was right," he began. "I've known since I was twelve that I have a duty as the future king to marry and have children."

"Ok," Elphaba said as he paused, not quite sure where this was going.

"And I love you, Fae. I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Elphaba's eyes widened slightly and she paled faintly. "Fiyero-"

He couldn't help but smile faintly. "Don't worry Fae, I'm not proposing," he assured her and she couldn't hide a faint look of relief at that assurance.

Then Fiyero shrugged. "I guess I'm just… proposing that one day… I do propose. And I wanted to get your thoughts on that."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "My thoughts?"

She sighed, a little overwhelmed, and fell silent. She was silent for so long, that Fiyero was worried.

"Elphaba? What are you thinking?"

She met his gaze and smiled faintly.

"I'm thinking… it's just a little surreal. I never imagined that anyone would ever want to marry me… ever. And I just…."

"What?" he encouraged her and Elphaba paused, remembering what Fiyero had said to her from the beginning of their relationship about being open with one another.

"There's a lot to think about. I mean, Nessa for one thing. I've taken care of her for so long, I feel sort of guilty about letting some stranger help her dress and bathe and things for the rest of her life. And my father… and then there's school and…"

Fiyero cut her off gently. "Fae, I'm not talking about getting married next week," he said with a grin. "But I just wondered-"

It was her turn to interrupt as she kissed him. "Yes," she said when she pulled away and Fiyero blinked.

"Yes?"

"Yes," she nodded with a smile. "I accept your proposal to propose," she laughed and Fiyero grinned in relief as he spun her off her feet in giddiness.

Galinda squealed excitedly when Elphaba told her what had happened that night before they went to sleep.

"That is so thrillifying!" she exclaimed. "You and Fiyero are going to be married!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Not immediately, Glin. Just… one day."

Galinda rolled her own eyes back at her best friend. "It still counts, Elphie. When exactly is 'one day'?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. A few years away, at least."

Galinda pouted for a moment, then brightened. "Ooh, Elphie! Can I be your maid of honour? And what colour scheme do you think is best- pink and white, or blue and white?"

Elphaba groaned to herself before turning to her. "Glin- who else would I ask to be my maid of honour? And as for the colour scheme, come and see me in a few years, okay? Although I wouldn't hold your breath for pink."

Galinda leapt out of bed and hugged her tightly before returning to her own bed. "Thank you, Elphie."

Elphaba rolled her eyes again, but she was smiling. "'Night, Glin."

By the time February came around, and with it Elphaba and Fiyero's six month anniversary, Elphaba was happy to find herself content. She was enjoying all her classes, and she was finding herself thinking more and more about her and Fiyero's future, something she usually avoided in order not to jinx herself. Fiyero wanted to plan a big date for their anniversary, but when he and Galinda realised it was Elphaba's twenty-second birthday at the end of March, Fiyero changed plans.

"You've never celebrated your birthday," he stressed to her when he was explaining it.

"With good reason," Elphaba muttered, but he ignored her.

"So, Galinda and I decided we're going to throw you a big birthday celebration!" he said excitedly.

Galinda elbowed him sharply. "Don't tell her anything, Fiyero! It's a surprise, remember?"

He grimaced. "Right. So, I thought we'd do something different for our anniversary this month."

Elphaba was wary. "Different how?"

He shook his head with a grin. "Not telling. Just come to my suite at six o'clock, okay?"

"Ok," she agreed reluctantly.

Galinda was as clueless as Elphaba as to what Fiyero's plans were, but that didn't stop her from attempting to guess until the moment left their dorm room to head over to Fiyero's, precisely at six.

Fiyero, being a prince, had his own suite of rooms in the boys' dormitories, complete with a living area, dining room and even a small kitchen, not that he ever used it. But the five of them had often held study groups around the table if for whatever reason they didn't go to the library.

When Elphaba knocked on the door, there was a long pause. She could hear movement from the other side of the door, but the door remained shut, and when she tried to open it, she found it locked.

"Fiyero?" she called out, wondering if perhaps something was wrong.

There was another pause, and then eventually the door opened a fraction and Fiyero slipped out.

"Oh, good you're here. Come on, we're going to the Wilted Rose for dinner," he said quickly, trying to move Elphaba down the hall, but she dug in her heels.

"If we were going to the Wilted Rose, why did I have to meet you here? And why was it such a big secret?" she demanded.

Fiyero tried to look innocent. "You know me, I tend to be melodramatic about these things. Let's just go."

Elphaba inhaled and a particular scent caught her attention. "What's that smell? Fiyero, what's going on?"

"Nothing," he assured her, stepping out into the hall and making to shut the door behind him.

Elphaba put her hand in the doorway, and Fiyero instinctively stopped so as not to crush her hand. She seized the opportunity to push the door open and slip past him into the suite. With a groan, Fiyero turned and re-entered his rooms.

Elphaba looked around as she entered, and what immediately caught her attention was the kitchen. It was a mess. There were pots, pans and various items strewn all over the countertops, and a pot on the stove which was producing a strange smell, which was what Elphaba had smelt from the hallway.

"What in Oz-" she muttered to herself and turned to face Fiyero inquisitively, who looked both awkward and slightly sheepish.

"I er… I was going to make dinner," he admitted avoiding her gaze. "But well… no."

Elphaba was stunned. "You were going to make me dinner?"

He shrugged, still not looking at her. "I thought it would be nice. I thought it would be simple… I know you hate a big fuss. I thought the cake last summer didn't go too bad… it was a stupid idea. Let's just go, alright?"

He was rambling, and knew it. He couldn't bring himself to look at Elphaba, and felt like a complete idiot.

"You think I'm really stupid, don't you?" he sighed.

"No, not really stupid," she replied softly, and Fiyero looked up to see her smiling softly at him, tears in her eyes.

The sight of her tears alarmed him, she so rarely cried or got upset.

"Fae?" he asked anxiously.

She stepped forward and kissed him, which surprised and faintly confused Fiyero- not that he was complaining.

"What was that for?"

Elphaba only smiled. "No one's ever…"

She couldn't finish, but Fiyero understood as he wrapped her in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. It was the same as when he'd organised the picnic for her back in Munchkinland- Elphaba had never had anyone go to that much effort for her before… even if Fiyero's efforts had failed miserably.

"Well, no one can say I didn't try," he said, trying to make light of it. "Wilted Rose?"

She shook her head and pulled away. "No. We can fix this."

Fiyero made a sceptical face as he reluctantly shut the door behind him and pulled off his jacket.

"Fae, I doubt even _you_ could fix this."

She rolled her eyes lightly. "Don't have so little faith in yourself," she scolded him gently.

"I do," Fiyero protested. "I have much faith in myself that this is a mess and I should henceforth avoid kitchens at all costs."

She cackled in laughter and she went over to the stove to inspect the damage. The pot on the stove was still hot, so she assumed he must have only turned it off before he went to answer the door. There was a lump of fettuccine at the bottom and she smiled, even as she grabbed the hair elastic she always kept around her wrist when she wore her hair down and tied her hair up.

"First tip," she announced, relighting the stove with matches as she beckoned him forward. "Pasta needs to be stirred, otherwise it ends up…. Well, like this."

She handed him the spoon and then turned to the counter to see what else there was. There was a large bottle of tomato paste which Elphaba had seen for sale in the local markets and various vegetables and cooking ingredients, all enough that she was sure she could scrape together a sauce to go with the pasta.

Fiyero stirred the clump of pasta absent-mindedly, but really he just watched Elphaba move around the small kitchen, making sauce. She used a bit of magic to help things along, and once the sauce was ready, she came to check on the pasta.

"It's better than it was," she laughed at him gently.

He grinned. "You mean it looks better. I don't know how it will taste."

"Fool proof solution," she replied.

"Drown it in sauce?" Fiyero guessed and she nodded.

"Exactly."

The dinner proved to be at least edible, although Fiyero accredited that to Elphaba's intervention, and the night turned out to be exactly how Fiyero had wanted it- simple and intimate.

"I may have to learn to cook if this is the thanks I get," he said teasingly that night when they were saying goodnight.

Elphaba laughed and kissed him again. "Happy anniversary, Yero my hero," she said softly and he pulled her even closer.

"Happy anniversary, Fae."


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**9**

Elphaba had always sworn March was a cursed month, not least because she was born in it. And in hindsight, she felt she should have seen it coming. She and Fiyero were blissfully happy, and the problems both Galinda and Nessa had predicted in the beginning had never seemed to arise. Fiyero always said that was because the fact they were both stubborn as hell and had a temper was irrelevant because they loved and understood one another. Elphaba disagreed.

For seven months, she had been wary, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But ever since Fiyero's 'proposal to propose' two months ago, she had let her guard slip a little and allowed herself just to be happy and not worry about what might happen.

But of course, that couldn't last forever.

Elphaba was in the library, working on a massive research assignment for her Life Sciences class when she looked up from the massive volume she was reading to see Fiyero approaching her.

"Why do you look so smug?" she asked him warily and he grinned as he dropped down into the seat next to her.

"I just bought your birthday present!" he sang quietly and Elphaba made a face.

"Great," she replied sarcastically, then suddenly paused. "Wait. You were out with Galinda… she didn't buy me anything _pink, _did she?"

Fiyero paused, avoiding her gaze. "I'm not at liberty to say," he answered and Elphaba groaned.

"Great."

He laughed and watched as she returned to her work. "Fae, take a break," he urged her. "It's nearly dinner and you've been in here _all _day. I haven't seen you at all today," he complained.

"I'm working," Elphaba replied. "This assignment is going to take a lot of research. I want to get a head start before the other professors start piling the work on us."

"You need to eat," Fiyero said sternly, always mindful of his mother's warning at Lurlinemas.

"I _have_ been eating. I had a sandwich and an apple half an hour ago," she said, not looking up.

"Yeah, and before that? Fae, you need to take care of yourself. That means regular meals, and plenty of fresh air, sleep and water."

Elphaba looked up at him in irritation. "Who are you, my mother?" she snapped.

Fiyero frowned. "Elphaba, I'm just looking after you."

"Well, I don't need you to look after me, Fiyero. I'm a big girl, I've been taking care of myself, Nessa _and_ running a household for years."

He paused for a moment before replying. "I know that, Fae."

Elphaba sighed, then looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry," she grimaced. "I… it's been a long day and I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere on this assignment."

"Hence my argument for fresh air," Fiyero said with a grin, silently letting her know she was forgiven.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but didn't argue as he began packing her things up. "Do you want any of these books?" he asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to check these ones out," she said, pointing to a small stack on one side of the desk.

She went and did that as Fiyero returned the others to the shelves, and then he walked with her out of the library into the evening air.

"So, did anything interesting happen today?" she asked him as they walked.

He shrugged. "Depends on what you call interesting. Boq's decided he wants to go to Quox after graduation."

Elphaba frowned. "Why Quox?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "He has some theory about seeing lands outside of Oz… he rambled on for a while about farming practices and I tuned out," he admitted.

Elphaba looked thoughtful. "Well, farming practices aside, I think he has a good point. Most Ozians rarely leave the province they're born in, let alone Oz itself. How can we truly say that Oz is so wonderful if we have nothing to compare it to? And you can't believe everything you hear about the lands outside of Oz."

Fiyero shrugged again nonchalantly. "Well, maybe a land outside of Oz is a good spot for a honeymoon," he suggested and Elphaba stopped in her tracks.

"Honeymoon?" she repeated in surprise.

Fiyero paused too, confused by both her tone and expression. "Yeah… you know, the trip couples go on after they're married?"

"I know what a honeymoon is, Fiyero," she scowled at him. "I just… I thought we said the whole marriage thing was a few years away."

"We don't graduate til next year," Fiyero replied and Elphaba looked at him.

"I said a few years away, not one."

Fiyero thought her tone sounded worried. "Elphaba? What are you worried about?"

"How soon are you planning on proposing?" she asked him bluntly, genuinely worried.

Fiyero was bewildered. "Well… I don't know exactly," he admitted. "But, it doesn't make sense to wait too long. I mean, the engagement will be at least six months because you'll have to learn about your duties as princess and such… I thought the honeymoon was a good idea to get out of Oz, because we won't be able to once we're married."

"We can't leave Oz once we're married?" Elphaba repeated with a raised eyebrow. "It sounds like a prison."

"Well, not just Oz," Fiyero explained. "I mean, there'll be official state trips to the Emerald City or maybe to other provinces like when we came and stayed with you last summer, but for the most part we'll stay in the Vinkus. And well, the people will expect an heir pretty quickly after the wedding."

Elphaba spluttered. "The _people _will expect? How many people are in this marriage exactly?"

Fiyero frowned. "Elphaba, what is going on? I thought we talked about the idea of marriage…"

"Yes, about getting married. Us. You and Me. One day. In the future. Whatever you're talking about just sounds like living in a glass bowl with the whole of the Vinkus getting a say in our lives and being stuck in the Vinkus year round."

"Being _stuck_?" Fiyero repeated. "I thought you liked the Vinkus."

"I also like Galinda, but I wouldn't want to be glued to her side for all eternity," Elphaba snapped.

Fiyero was getting angry. "Elphaba, I'm a prince. And there are certain things I don't get a say about in my life. I thought you'd understand that, being so brainy and all."

Elphaba blinked, at the bitterness she detected in his tone. "What's _that_ tone for?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Fiyero sighed.

"Fiyero!"

"I never see you anymore!" Fiyero exclaimed. "You're always in the library, or studying, or reading."

"I'm trying to get an education," Elphaba protested. "And don't be so overdramatic, I see you all the time!"

Fiyero ignored that last part. "Trying to get an education? By taking _every_ class Shiz has to offer?"

"It's not every class," Elphaba replied in exasperation. "And I'm sorry if _some_ of us want to achieve our full academic potential."

"What's the point?" Fiyero demanded.

"What do you mean?" Elphaba asked in confusion.

"Taking a million classes, getting top grades… what's the point? Why are you trying so hard all the time?"

Elphaba's temper flared. "I'm sorry- are you really mad at me because I don't believe your philosophy of dancing through life? Because I actually give a damn about my education?" she demanded angrily.

"I'm just trying to understand what you feel you have to prove by being the best!" Fiyero defended himself.

"Oh, because the Artichoke _must_ have something to prove?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "For the love of Oz, Elphaba- not everything is about your skin colour! What do I have to do to convince you of that? We've been together for seven months, known each other for over a year, and you _still_ act like you expect me to flinch away every time I touch you because of your skin! Believe it or not, more people than you think really don't give a damn."

Elphaba's eyes widened slightly. "Really? Well, I can count on two hands the number of people in my entire life who haven't 'given a damn'," she quoted icily. "Well, why don't you tell me Fiyero- what do I have to prove? Who am I trying to impress by actually using my brain?"

Fiyero frowned. "Don't get mad at me because I want to spend time with my girlfriend outside the library," he warned her.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that. Apparently, once we graduate, we'll have the rest of our lives to spend time together 'outside of the library.' But apparently not out of the Vinkus," she said nastily, and stalked away.

Fiyero followed her and grabbed her arm. "Hey! I thought we were on the same page with this relationship and where it's going?"

"Well, apparently, you've already gone and finished writing the ending," Elphaba snapped. "I don't appreciate my whole life being mapped out for me, Fiyero. Not even by you. I've had that done my whole life, knowing all I was going to do was care for Nessa and run the household for the rest of my life. And I didn't even dream of the possibility of doing anything else or leaving Munchkinland. And then my father said I could come here and that I could study and get a degree as long as I cared for Nessa. Do you realise what that meant for me, Fiyero? To be somewhere where there's not a cornfield in sight and you can talk about philosophy or literature? To have political discussions and debate social issues in class with people who _care_ about these things?"

"Yeah, I get it," Fiyero said tiredly.

"So, I'm sorry if the idea of a tiara and a title doesn't sound like a dream come true to me. I'm not Galinda or any of those brainless, blonde bimbos you used to date."

"I know who you are and who I'm dating, thank you very much," Fiyero snapped. "What is this about? Do you not want to marry me?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," Elphaba snarled back. "I never said that! But I just didn't realise when you talked about marriage, you were talking immediately after graduation! I need… I need more time."

"Time?" Fiyero repeated. "Time for what?"

Elphaba exhaled in frustration. "I don't know! Just… time. This… us… it's all happening so fast and it's not exactly usual behaviour from the boy who first arrived at Shiz with a trail of rumours following his every move!"

Fiyero stared at her, horror and realisation in his eyes. "You think I'm going to change my mind? Is that what all this 'time' nonsense is about? You want to give me time to back out?"

"I didn't _say_ that!" Elphaba exclaimed furiously. "Stop putting words in my mouth!"

Fiyero was furious. He couldn't believe Elphaba didn't believe he loved her and was in this for the long haul, after seven months.

"For the love of Oz Elphaba, what do I have to do or say to make you believe I love you?" he demanded.

"I know you love me, I didn't say you didn't," Elphaba insisted desperately. The whole situation had gotten out of hand so fast, and she felt powerless to stop or control it.

She turned away and ran her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to go," she said finally, trying to take control.

"What do you mean? Go where? Why?" Fiyero asked, panicked as to what she was saying.

"Because I need to sort my thoughts out and I can't do that here," Elphaba replied sharply. "Although I don't need to answer to you about my whereabouts, whether we're dating or not."

"No, I want you to explain this to me," Fiyero insisted.

Elphaba fumed. "_No!_ I need some space and time right now, okay? I can't deal with this."

Fiyero gaped at her. "You need time? Are you breaking up with me?"

"_Stop it!"_ Elphaba practically screamed at him in frustration. "Will you shut up and actually _listen_ to what I'm saying? I just need some time _alone_ to think. That's how I process things, got it? You know that. And you need to stop twisting what I'm saying. All I was saying about the whole marriage thing was that I didn't dream about those things as a little girl."

"Yeah, I get it. You're green," Fiyero said irritably and Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, I am. Glad you've noticed. You also may have noticed, I have a brain and I want to use it. My father 's given me this opportunity, and I'm going to take full advantage of it."

"Why? It's not like good grades are going to suddenly make your father proud of you," Fiyero said without thinking, only realising as he was saying it just how it sounded.

Elphaba actually paled and she looked like he'd just struck her. Without another word, she turned and hurried away towards her dorm. Fiyero was frozen to the spot for a moment in horror at his own words, before chasing after her.

"Elphaba! Wait!" he called out.

He saw Elphaba's hand twitch and suddenly it felt like Fiyero had run into something solid and he was actually flung four or five feet backwards, landing on his back on the grass and the wind knocked out of him. Realising what had happened, and suddenly immensely grateful he had not been affected either time before this when he'd seen Elphaba unintentionally use her magic, Fiyero breathlessly got back up and ran after his girlfriend.

By the time he reached the hallway outside the room Elphaba shared with Galinda, she'd already gone inside, slamming and locking the door behind her. Fiyero knocked on the door heavily, but she didn't answer.

"Elphaba! Fae, let me in!" he begged, knocking desperately. "Fae, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that… Fae, talk to me!"

There was no sound or movement from the other side of the door, and Fiyero continued to knock and call out to Elphaba from the hallway.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero turned with a sigh and saw Galinda coming down the hallway towards him.

"What are you doing?" she asked in confusion.

Fiyero hesitated. "Elphaba and I had a fight," he admitted. "Can you please make her talk to me, Glin?"

Galinda blinked at him. "Wow. I'm surprised you lasted this long," she commented. "Seven months without a fight. Between yours and Elphie's temper, I thought-"

"Galinda, _please_?" Fiyero interrupted her beseechingly.

Galinda sighed and dug her room keys out of her bag. "Wait here," she instructed him and opened the door.

Fiyero waited impatiently in the hall, suspecting that Galinda was demanding details from Elphaba about the situation. He supposed the one bright side to this situation was Elphaba would tell the events are they were and not exaggerate things. The downside was, Galinda would be just as furious with him as Elphaba was when she heard what he'd said to her about her father.

Fiyero had known that was a low blow, and he hadn't even thought about it, it had just slipped out. But the look of hurt on Elphaba's face when he'd said it was stuck in his mind and he had to apologise.

Sure enough, when Galinda returned to the door, she was furious.

"Fiyero, what in Oz's name were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I wasn't," he defended himself weakly and Galinda snorted.

"Shocking."

She sighed and crossed her arms. "I think you should go. I think you and Elphaba both need some space right now to cool down. Come back tomorrow," she suggested.

Fiyero hesitated. "What did she tell you? Did she tell you it was my fault?"

"No!" Galinda cried. "She said you were both at fault and you had a fight and she doesn't want to talk to you or see you right now. So, go away."

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Elphaba," Fiyero said stubbornly and he heard a distinct mutter from inside the room behind Galinda.

"What was that? What did she say?" he demanded eagerly and Galinda sighed as she reluctantly repeated her best friend's message.

"She said the floor's quite comfortable. Good night, Fiyero," she said and closed the door behind her.

Fiyero sighed and dejectedly sank to the floor of the hallway, staring at the door separating him from Elphaba. If he had to sleep in the hallway he would, but he would not leave until Elphaba talked to him. He was not going to let her run away from this, no matter how mad she was.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. You get an early update (not that much earlier, but still...) because I had to make room on my document manager to post the next chapter of 'Once Upon a Time' so... yay! And DefyingGravity4Good, no i haven't written a Fiyeraba fight before. There was that misunderstanding in FLTF, but no, this was the first fight. And if you liked this drama, just you wait! **

**10**

It took Elphaba a moment when she awoke the next morning to realise why she felt so miserable. But as the memory of her and Fiyero's fight came back to her, she sighed and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. After all, it was a Saturday, she had no classes, what was stopping her from spending all day in bed and pretending the night before hadn't happened?

But Elphaba was never good at doing nothing, and eventually she sighed again, and threw back the covers as she went to have a shower.

When Elphaba came out of the bathroom after showering and drying her hair, she stopped to see Galinda peering through the ajar door of their room, looking out into the hall.

"What are you doing?"

Galinda jumped and closed the door quietly before turning to her friend, looking guilty at being caught.

"Nothing!" she protested and Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"You need to talk to him," Galinda said quietly, changing topics.

Elphaba avoided her friend's gaze as she turned and began making her bed. "No, I don't."

"Yes. You do," Galinda insisted firmly.

Elphaba ignored her and focused on making sure her sheet was lined up perfectly with no creases. Galinda stepped forward and put her hand on the green shoulder.

"Elphie. You love him, don't you?"

Elphaba turned to Galinda finally. She met her gaze for a moment before sighing deeply.

"Yes," she admitted softly. However badly Fiyero had hurt her, she loved him, which Galinda knew perfectly well.

"And he loves you," Galinda told her. "He feels awful, Elphie."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose again. "Oh? And how do you know?"

"Because he's sleeping out in the hallway," Galinda answered simply, pointing towards the door.

Elphaba was surprised. She didn't think Fiyero would actually carry out his threat, and she softened for a second before remembering what he'd said.

"I'm still mad at him," she said firmly.

Galinda smiled reassuringly. "That's okay. You can be mad and hurt and still love him. But you need to talk to him and sort this out. Let him know exactly why you're mad. Okay?"

"Okay," Elphaba agreed reluctantly.

She finished making her bed and brushed her drying hair again as Galinda hastily dressed herself and slipped out of the room, letting Fiyero in as she passed him. Fiyero was tired. Sleeping in the hallway wasn't the best night's sleep he'd ever had, and he still felt awful knowing he'd hurt Elphaba.

When he entered the room, Elphaba was facing out the window, determinedly not looking in his direction. Fiyero didn't exactly know where to start, but knew he'd have to break the silence.

"Fae," he began, but Elphaba cut him off immediately.

"Don't," she said quietly, finally turning to look at him. "_Don't_ call me that."

Fiyero paled slightly at her words. As soon as they'd become friends, Elphaba had never minded him calling her 'Fae', even if she did laugh at him and said it made no sense. It wasn't like Galinda's term of 'Elphie', which she had protested weakly to for about two months at the beginning of her and Galinda's friendship before reluctantly accepting it. For her to reject it now, it cut Fiyero deep and made him realise just how mad and hurt she was.

He couldn't think what to say next after that, but Elphaba solved that problem for him.

"You can_not_ undo twenty-one years of self-esteem issues in seven months," she said her tone soft but icy.

"I know, I-" Fiyero tried to apologise, but she held up a hand and stopped him.

"I know my father's feelings towards me aren't going to change if I get good grades. That has never been my intention. It's because of me that my mother isn't here and that Nessa is the way she is- despite your arguments to the contrary, that is what I've been raised to know as the truth. I've accepted that. And I know my getting straight A's isn't going to make him love me, or accept me. I do well at school… I _try_ hard at school… because it's the one place… the one thing where people don't care about my abnormality. School and books have always been my sanctuary, Fiyero. Always. I like learning, and I don't need to justify my reasons why."

"I never meant you did," Fiyero insisted.

"My skin is always going to be an issue with me," she interrupted again. "I showed you last summer that I got stabbed in the leg because kids wanted to see if I bled green too. I've had people cross to the other side of the street so that they don't have to pass the green girl. People on campus _still_ stare at me, after two years. And the fact that you don't care doesn't change the fact that I've lived my whole life with people caring. It's all I've known."

"I know that," Fiyero managed to say. "I didn't mean…" he trailed off uncertainly stepped towards Elphaba, but stopped in his tracks as she looked at him.

"I thought you knew me better than anyone," she whispered, crossing her arms around herself and stepping backwards, away from him. "I thought… that you were the _one_ person I could count on to never hurt me. I've shared more of myself with you than I have with anyone else in my life, Fiyero. And for you to…" she trailed off, unable to finish speaking.

Fiyero said nothing, he could not think of words to say that could fix this.

She looked at him, her eyes huge. "This is who I am, Fiyero. I'm the green girl, who is going to spend more time than is considered usual in the library and will answer every question in class. And… I love you. And I want to spend my life with you… but I'm not ready to go straight from graduation to being your wife and a princess and all that entails. I'm only going to be twenty-two next week. I can't just stand by your side for the rest of our lives looking pretty and having children. I want… to _do_ something with my life. Make a difference somehow, maybe be known by something other than the green girl. And if you can't accept that…"

She looked away, and Fiyero was startled to see her eyes fill with tears. "Then maybe we've just proved every girl on campus right who wonders why you went from dating someone like Galinda to someone like me. Maybe we've proven that… that you're with the wrong girl," she said in a constricted voice, as she spoke around the painful lump that had arisen in her throat and desperately tried not to cry.

Fiyero felt as though he'd been kicked in the stomach. And despite the invisible barrier Elphaba had been shoving up since he'd entered the room, warning not to go near her, Fiyero strode forward to close the gap between them and cupped her face in his hands, even as she wrapped her hands around his wrists to push him away.

"No. _No_," he said firmly, shaking his head and feeling quite panicked at what she was saying.

"F- Elphaba, look at me. _Look_ at me," he stressed pleadingly and waited for an incredibly long moment until she raised her eyes to his.

"You… you are the right girl. You are the _only_ girl," he told her quietly, moving closer to her without moving his hands so that their noses were almost touching. His voice was shaking slightly, and he was trying to remain in control of his emotions.

"I love you. You are the only girl I've ever loved or will ever love. And I love you because you're you. Green skin, temper, insecure, brilliant, loving, compassionate, beautiful, generous, sarcastic, brave, amazing, _you. _And I meant what you heard me tell your father last summer- you are better than Munchkinland and that life he's tried to fit you into. And you can change Oz and make a difference.

And I will wait for as long as I have to, until you're ready to marry me," he vowed. "I'm not saying it will be straight after graduation, but if you need more time, I'll wait. Because you… you're my everything, Fae," he said, and his voice broke as he said it.

Elphaba flinched and shut her eyes as though his words pained her and shook her head faintly, but he drew her closer and rested his forehead against hers.

"You. Are. Everything. You're my best friend, and my soul mate. My conscience and my light.. my life. I love you. I love you so much, Elphaba," he murmured and Elphaba sniffled as tears began to spill down her face.

Fiyero didn't even try and hold back his own tears and he took a deep breath. "I know it scares you… and it scares me too, sometimes. How much… how completely and totally in love I am with you. My life is completely centred around you and… that scares me. But from the moment I fell in love with you, with the Cub, _you_ are all I can see when I look to the future. And I am going to love you for the rest of my life, Elphaba Thropp. And I promise you… that for as long as you're mine, I will love you. Because I can't… I _won't_ ever lose you. I will _never_ let you go. Understand?"

Elphaba couldn't supress the sob that rose up in her throat at that instant, and sank forward weakly into Fiyero's arms. His hands finally moved from her face to encircle her waist and he buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent as they both cried quietly. Fiyero held her tightly, murmuring "I love you" over and over again in her ear. It was the only thing he could think of to say, and he already knew he could never say it enough.

After a few minutes, when Elphaba's breathing had evened out somewhat and she was no longer sniffling, she sighed with one long, shuddering breath and pulled away. Fiyero was stung for a moment, before he saw her go into the bathroom and turn on the tap to wash her face.

Elphaba made a face at her reflection in the mirror as the water ran. She rarely cried, and this was just one reason why. She hated how her eyes went red and blotchy afterwards, how it always made her tired, cold and have a headache. Sighing, she blew her nose and washed her face with her washcloth, then pulled back her hair into a ponytail so that it was off her face and straightened her dress before taking a deep breath and returning to the room.

Fiyero was sitting on her bed, and he looked up as she approached.

"Are- are we okay?" he asked her hesitantly.

Elphaba knew they still had things to discuss- just the whole idea of their future. But with Fiyero's words running through her head, she answered his question by leaning down and kissing him.

Fiyero felt a crashing wave of relief wash over him and he immediately drew Elphaba onto his lap as he deepened the kiss. She felt his arms circle securely around her and she relaxed into his arms and the moment as Fiyero kissed her as though he was trying to make her forget the night before, which Elphaba was quite willing to do.

They didn't even hear the door open, and it was a loud,

"_Ahem_," that made them jump apart and stare owlishly up at Galinda, who was standing in the doorway with an amused and faintly embarrassed smirk on her face.

"Well. I see you two have made up," she said.

Elphaba blushed and Fiyero tried not to grin.

"I'm meeting Nessa and Boq at the Wilted Rose in about ten minutes if you want to come. And don't worry, they don't know anything," she assured them and then left the room again.

There was a moment's pause, and then Elphaba chuckled quietly, resting her head on Fiyero's shoulder. Fiyero laughed too, and kissed her temple softly and made sure his arms were tight around her waist, after realising his hand had drifted onto her thigh as they kissed.

"I love you," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

Elphaba lifted her head up to look at him. "I love you too. And stop apologising. This was my fault just as much as yours. I freaked out a little," she admitted. "And my skin is always-"

"I know, Fae. I know," Fiyero cut her off gently. "We'll talk about this later, okay? Why don't we go meet the others?" he suggested and Elphaba nodded reluctantly.

"Ok," she agreed, but made no move to get off his lap.

"Uh, Fae?"

"Galinda said ten minutes," she reminded him and Fiyero grinned as he drew her lips to his again.

That night, they had a long talk before the fire in Fiyero's room. They talked about everything they had argued about the night before, and Fiyero told her about his mother's warning at Lurlinemas and how much it worried him about her workload.

"I'll take less classes next year," she promised him, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes and Fiyero knew she'd keep her promise.

Fiyero repeated his own promise, that he'd wait however long until she was ready to marry him, and apologised again.

"I tend to jump feet first into things… that's how I deal with it," he admitted. "It's how we're raised in the Vinkus… don't hesitate, just give everything your all."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I've never really had anything to be afraid of," she said, looking down at her hands. "It always felt like I was doing the scaring… I always had to be brave and strong for Nessa… but nothing's ever scared me like… us. I've never had anything to lose before or to look forward to and I-"

He stopped her with a soft kiss. "It's okay, Fae."

Elphaba sighed and moved closer into his embrace.

"Everything's going to be okay," he murmured and she wanted to believe him.


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**11**

The day before Elphaba's birthday, Fiyero and Galinda cornered Elphaba in the library to tell her the surprise they had planned for her birthday.

"We're throwing you a party at the OzDust!" Galinda squealed, unable to keep the secret in any longer, which earned her dirty looks from the librarian and nearby students.

Elphaba's eyes widened. "A party? With who? The five of us?" she hissed.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Elphie, don't be like that!"

"Micah and Corin are both coming," Fiyero told her.

"And there's plenty of students in our classes who just… don't know you like we do, but they don't… not like you."

Elphaba understood what her friend was trying to say. "So, everyone who isn't afraid to go within a mile radius of the green girl gets an invite? Is that how you planned this party?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fiyero took the chair beside his girlfriend and gently grabbed her hand. "Fae, come on. It's going to be a fun night, I promise."

Elphaba doubted that, but she knew Fiyero and Galinda had been planning this for about a month, so she sighed and nodded wearily.

"Ok," she agreed and Fiyero grinned.

Micah and Corin arrived from the Vinkus the next morning, and headed straight to meet Fiyero and the others for brunch at the Wilted Rose, where they were sitting outdoors and enjoying the beautiful Saturday sunshine.

"Happy birthday, Elphaba," Micah greeted her and she smiled ruefully.

"Says who?"

"Fabala," Nessa scolded her older sister quietly and Elphaba chuckled.

"Thank you for coming, you guys. It wasn't necessary."

Corin scoffed. "Elphaba, parties are _always_ necessary."

They had a nice brunch, and then Galinda insisted that Elphaba and Nessa go with her to get their hair done for the party.

"The party that's seven hours away?" Elphaba asked dryly.

"Elphie," Galinda whined and Elphaba rolled her eyes in defeat.

Fiyero stopped her before she could get up and leaned over and kissed her. She smiled as she pulled away and squeezed his hand lightly as she left. Micah and Corin both stared at Fiyero quizzically, but Boq was oblivious.

"I still need to get Elphaba a birthday present. Any ideas, Fiyero?" he asked.

Fiyero laughed. "I'm not telling you anything, Boq. Otherwise, I'll use up all my brilliant ideas on you! It's Elphaba, she's easy to shop for."

Boq clearly thought otherwise. "There's always socks," he muttered to himself as he bid the boys farewell and left.

Fiyero chuckled and took a sip of his coffee, before noticing the way his friends were staring at him.

"What?" he asked defensively.

Micah leaned forward in concern. "Yero- are you and Elphaba okay?"

Fiyero tensed slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because at Lurlinemas, she was glowing. Now, she seems strained a little," Corin said slowly.

Fiyero sighed. "We had a pretty huge fight last week," he admitted. "Everything's okay now, but I think Fae's a little shaken. I kind of wish we weren't throwing the party now, but Galinda wouldn't hear of cancelling."

That was why he'd taken the extra moment to kiss her before she'd left. He wasn't pushing her to talk about what was wrong, but wanted her to know that he was here and he loved her.

Corin looked reassured and grinned. "Is _that_ all it is? Isn't that what make up sex was invented for?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "That _would_ be your solution, Corin."

Micah smiled. "B.E., that would have been your solution too."

"B.E.?" Fiyero repeated with a frown.

"Before Elphaba," Corin explained. "My idea."

Again, he rolled his eyes. "Of course it was."

Corin frowned suspiciously. "So, there was no make-up sex?"

Fiyero reddened slightly, knowing his friends would make a big deal of this. "I'm not sleeping with Elphaba."

"Is it because of the green?" Corin asked unthinkingly, and Micah punched him as Fiyero's eyes flashed dangerously.

"_No!" _Fiyero glared at his friend furiously. "Do you really think I'm that shallow?" he demanded and Corin looked apologetic.

"No, Yero, I didn't mean it like that," he explained sorrowfully. "I just meant… you've said that Elphaba is kind of insecure about her skin. I just figured that was why… I'm sorry," he apologised sincerely.

Fiyero sighed. "It's okay," he assured him. "And yeah… maybe that's a part of it. But… I'm not who I used to be, you guys. B.E.," he said with a faint grin at Corin, to let his friend know he really was forgiven.

"We can see that," Micah said quietly.

"It's different with Elphaba," Fiyero continued.

"Because you love her," Micah chimed in knowingly and Fiyero grinned. Yes, exactly that.

Fiyero was right, the week before _had_ shaken Elphaba, more than she wanted to admit or could pretend otherwise. Nessa and Boq still knew nothing, because Elphaba insisted it was between her and Fiyero, and if she didn't room with Galinda, the blonde wouldn't know either. Plus, Elphaba was sure her sister wouldn't be above an "I told you so", after her comment on the idea of Elphaba and Fiyero dating on the way back to Shiz last summer.

The thing was, it had all happened so quickly- one minute Fiyero was persuading her to take a study break and the next they were arguing. So Elphaba was more than a little wary. She and Fiyero had both agreed to move on and forget about the fight, especially once they had discussed everything, but Elphaba couldn't help but be apprehensive. She wanted to go back to that place, where Fiyero was as much her sanctuary from the rest of the world as the library or her books, where… how had she put it the week before? He was the one person who she knew would never hurt her.

And she truly did want to, and she knew that Fiyero would never actually purposely hurt her. It hadn't escaped either of their attentions that she hadn't referred to him as "Yero my hero" since then, and Elphaba was trying her hardest to believe that everything would be alright.

Yes, Elphaba was scared. If their first fight was this bad, would they only get worse? Were they truly capable of hurting one another, even emotionally? One of the big things Elphaba had apologised for as they talked was for using her magic to keep him from running after her, and it had only partially been unintentional. She was still working on controlling her magic and the more emotional she was, the harder it was to do.

What if Fiyero hadn't slept out in the hall that night, determined to talk to her? What if her pride and refusal to talk to him had been enough to make him walk away? Elphaba knew she had a temper and a tendency to be stubborn, and she was worried that her love for Fiyero- and his love for her- wouldn't be enough to overcome that.

Fiyero had promised he would wait until she was ready to marry him. What if she never felt ready? What if he got tired of waiting? What if- as he had during that one awful moment that night- he interpreted her hesitation as her not wanting to spend forever with him? And then there was the whole issue of being the Vinkus princess and everything that went along with that. Despite having raised Nessa, Elphaba didn't have much confidence in herself as a mother, let alone the mother of the heir to the Vinkun throne. What if their children were green?

Elphaba knew Fiyero was confident in their future together, and she felt guilty she couldn't feel that same confidence. She wanted to move on and let herself just feel happy and in love again and not worry about all these things, but not worrying was something Elphaba had never been good at.

But for everyone's sake- Nessa, Galinda, Fiyero and even herself, Elphaba just put on a brave face and pretended everything was truly fine. That's why she didn't protest to the party, and why she sat for two hours in the hair salon with Galinda and her sister, letting her long black hair be curled and pinned back.

When they'd finally left and Galinda and Elphaba returned to their dorm room, Galinda pulled a large, wrapped box out of her closet and handed it to Elphaba.

"Happy birthday, Elphie!" she exclaimed happily.

Elphaba stared at the box, a sudden lump in her throat as she flashed back to the week before. Fiyero had just returned from shopping with Galinda for her birthday when he'd met her in the library that night.

Galinda saw her face and grew worried. "Elphie?"

She placed the box on her bed and put her arm around her friend's thin green shoulders. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Elphaba startled out of her thoughts and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, Glin… this is my first ever birthday present," she explained, which was the truth, even if it wasn't the real reason for her reaction.

Galinda looked relieved, surprised and excited all simultaneously. "Oh! I'm your first ever birthday gift?"

The blonde was thrilled at that honour, and then paused with a frown. "Maybe Fiyero should be the first…" she wondered aloud, then shrugged. "Oh well, I want you to wear this tonight, so he'll just have to be the second! Open it, Elphie!"

Elphaba chuckled as she obediently went to open the box, curious as to what her best friend had bought her. The first thing she saw when she opened it, was a smaller wrapped box on top. But underneath was a mass of black fabric.

Hesitantly, Elphaba lifted it out and held it against herself. It came to just below her knees with a split up one side. It had thin straps and Elphaba could tell it would be form fitting.

"Galinda-"

"I know it shows more skin that you probably like," Galinda interrupted before she could say anything more. "But trust me, Elphie… you'll look _so _beautiful."

Elphaba smiled and hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Galinda."

Galinda beamed. "Yay! Ok, now open the next one," she ordered and watched eagerly as Elphaba unwrapped it to find a necklace with an emerald and kunzite pendant hanging from it.

Elphaba laughed and Galinda giggled.

"Do you like it? See, pink goes good with green," she declared.

"I can see that," Elphaba replied in amusement. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

Galinda beamed and hugged her again. "Just wait until tonight, Elphie. You're going to have an amazing night, I promise you."

When Elphaba entered the OzDust, she was genuinely surprised by how many people were in the room. And she noted that Galinda had outdone herself on the decorations, with a huge banner reading "Happy Birthday Elphaba!" along the back wall.

"What do you think?" Fiyero whispered in her ear and she smiled.

"I think you both went a little overboard. Twenty-two is not that impressive."

He shrugged. "Maybe not, but this is counting for the twenty-one years before this one as well."

She looked at him pointedly. "I really hope you didn't use that excuse to buy me a ridiculous amount of presents."

He looked back at her innocently. "Would I do that?"

"Yes," she laughed and he grinned as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Yes," she replied simply, blushing faintly and Fiyero kissed her cheek softly.

Elphaba even consented to dance a few times, which thrilled Fiyero, dancing with Elphaba in his arms had quickly become one of his favourite things in the world. Elphaba had to admit she was having fun, and she was surprised by how many of her classmates had not only come, but stopped by to wish her a happy birthday and even bought her small gifts.

Galinda held back from saying "I told you so" but did smile smugly at Elphaba from time to time, which made Elphaba roll her eyes.

It was close to midnight when Fiyero gently pulled Elphaba away from where she was talking to Nessa and a girl from her law class, and led her out of the ballroom and into the back hallways where the bathrooms, janitors closet and kitchens were.

"Fiyero, what are we doing?" she asked in confusion.

"I didn't want to give you this in front of everyone, but it's freezing outside," he explained.

He pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "Happy birthday, Fae."

Elphaba smiled faintly as she took the box from him. Just as she made to open it, a crowd of people rounded the corner, headed for the bathrooms; just as two waiters exited the kitchen. Fiyero grimaced, he really didn't want any witnesses around to see this.

"Wait- come here."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the closest door he saw, which turned out to be a janitor's closet.

"Really, Fiyero?" Elphaba laughed as he shut the door behind him and fumbled for the light.

"Just open it," he insisted, turning on the light.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and opened the small box. When she lifted the lid, her breath caught.

It was a ring, a simple silver band meeting two delicate deep red garnets in the shape of hearts in the centre, two much smaller diamond hearts floating around the edges.

"These stones are mined in the Vinkus- deep in the Lesser Kells," Fiyero told her quietly. "They symbolise loyalty, sincerity, grace and eternal love. This ring…" he said, taking her hands in his.

"This ring is everything I love you for, and everything I promise you for the rest of my life. I love you, Elphaba and I'm going to love you forever."

In that one moment, although Elphaba would never be able to explain how, all her fears and insecurities that had been troubling her for the past week were gone.

Fiyero seemed to take her inability to speak as a good thing, and he took the ring off her and slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand. Elphaba would have thought that the red stone would clash with her skin, but it just seemed to fit, which she took as another sign and she knew immediately this ring would never leave her finger- just as whatever happened between her and Fiyero, their love would never die.

Elphaba wound her arms around Fiyero's neck and kissed him deeply, pressing her body against his. Fiyero didn't hold back, firmly pressing her back against the wall of the closet as his arms slid tightly around her lower waist and down onto her hips. Elphaba gasped as he firmly grasped one leg just above her knee and lifted her leg to rest on his own hip. Using the wall as support, she wrapped her other leg around his other hip, lifting her dress to give her more mobility. Fiyero groaned slightly and moved one hand up into her hair, and his lips moved from her lips to her throat and neck, making her whimper. As her long green fingers grasped his hair at the back of his head, Fiyero groaned reluctantly as he pulled away.

"What is it?" she asked breathlessly and Fiyero rubbed small circles with his thumb on the inside of her knee, still wrapped around his hip, as he answered.

"We have to stop," he replied hoarsely. "Because if we don't, I won't. And… I want to… I _am_ going to do this right with you. Which means the first time I make love to you is not going to be in a janitor's closet."

Elphaba blushed at his words and Fiyero grinned as he kissed her one final time, deeply and sweetly before sighing and pulling away, lowering her emerald legs to the floor.

Not trusting his willpower to stay alone in a closet with Elphaba for much longer, Fiyero waited until she'd straightened her dress and hair before opening the door.

"Fiyero?"

He turned back before re-entering the ballroom when she called his name. He met her gaze with a small smile and wrapped her back in his arms as her arms came to rest on his broad shoulders.

"Yes, Fae?"

"I love you, Yero my hero," she murmured and Fiyero's smile widened as he kissed her.

Elphaba had to admit, maybe celebrating her birthday wasn't all that bad.

**AN. Hopefully, by this time, there should be a link to the ring on my profile. If not, let me know and I'll put it up, because I more than likely forgot. **


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed. Bad news... well, for you guys. It's great news for me ;) As you know, I update this every second day. Well, this is Monday morning and as of tonight I will be without internet until Thursday, because... I'll be in Perth seeing WICKED for my 4th time!**

**So, you won't get an update on Wednesday, you'll have to wait til Thursday! And I'd feel really bad if I wasn't going to see WICKED. **

**12 **

The rest of the school year fled by, for most of the Shiz students. As the weather grew steadily warmer, many reluctant students found themselves trapped in dim buildings preparing for exams, instead of soaking in the sunshine. Not surprisingly, Elphaba secluded herself away by choice, determined as ever to be well-prepared for the final exams.

The exams also served as a distraction, she was _not_ looking forward to the summer. Of course, neither was Fiyero, but only because it meant he and Elphaba would be apart for their one year anniversary, and he knew exactly what Elphaba was going home to. He kept bringing up the subject of Elphaba coming to the Vinkus for the summer, but she always changed the subject and he didn't push.

Since her birthday, Elphaba and Fiyero seemed to have settled back into the place they were before their fight- if not even better. Elphaba had resolved to take a chance on herself, and on Fiyero, and not allow herself to think about any of the 'what ifs' that plagued her mind, especially once the exams drew closer.

Fiyero couldn't help but grumble slightly, he was not impressed to learn that the first day of exams was his own twenty-fourth birthday; and a three hour literature exam was not his idea of a celebration.

"Why do I get the feeling you would rather have the exam than the party?" he teased her lovingly one day and she laughed, simply because it was true.

As the exam period began, the whole campus seemed to become silent. Students could be found at all hours with their head buried in books, in the library, empty classrooms, hallways and the cafeteria.

Only Elphaba seemed oddly relaxed, which none of her friends or her sister could understand why.

"Elphie, why aren't you more stressed?" Galinda demanded the night before their first exam.

Elphaba, lying on her bed casually re-reading the novel she would be using for her literature exam, looked up with a grin.

"Maybe because I don't leave all my studying and revision until the exams?"

Galinda made a face at her best friend and slammed her textbook shut, moving away from her desk and flinging herself onto her bed.

"Oh, sweet Oz I can't study anymore!" she wailed. "Elphie… distract me! Please? Anything but school talk!"

Elphaba chuckled and paused thoughtfully for a moment before smirking at the blonde. "Well… a little birdie tells me you've been getting some mail from the Vinkus since my birthday…"

Galinda shot up to a sitting position on the bed, her pretty face turning bright pink.

Elphaba continued in mock puzzlement. "Now let's see…. _Who_ does Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands know from the Vinkus? Well, Fiyero of course, but given that he's _here_ I don't think that's who could be writing you. There's Fiyero's parents, but I can't think of any reason why the King and Queen of the Vinkus would be writing to you either. Well, it _could_ always be-"

"Oh Elphie, I know you know it's Micah!" Galinda snapped, blushing furiously. "Damn Fiyero," she added with a scowl.

Elphaba cackled as she put her book aside. "Yes, I know. I just wanted to do that."

"Don't be horrendible!" Galinda cried in embarrassment and Elphaba's smirk softened into a smile.

"Sorry, Glin. So…?"

Galinda looked up and saw her friend's questioning eyebrow. "So, what?" she asked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, really? Are you telling me you don't want to talk about it? When Fiyero told me, I was surprised you hadn't mentioned it as soon as the first letter arrived! My birthday was three months ago! Have you been writing all this time?"

Galinda nodded and then as a beaming smile spread across her face, she jumped up and bounced onto the bed beside Elphaba.

"Oh, Elphie! I never even thought…. We were talking, at your birthday party and he asked if he could write to me! Of course I said yes, and… oh, Elphie…" she sighed.

"I think I've been hanging around you too much," she laughed gently. "I didn't want to say anything, in case I jinxed it. Especially after-"

"After you said you were going to marry Fiyero?" Elphaba asked innocently and Galinda pinched her on the arm.

"_Ouch!"_

"Do you have to keep bringing that up?" Galinda scowled and Elphaba cackled.

"Well, I don't _have_ to, but I certainly _like_ to."

Galinda tried to glare at her best friend, but only succeeded in a frown before subsiding into giggles.

"_Anyway_... yes, that was one reason I didn't want to say anything. But I wasn't sure what to say. I mean, we're just exchanging letters!"

Then she turned to Elphaba curiously. "Why? What do you know?"

Elphaba smiled. "He thinks you're sweet, and beautiful and perfect."

"So, he knows me pretty well then," Galinda replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder and Elphaba laughed.

"Yes. I think if it weren't for the fact you live at opposite ends of Oz to one another, he'd be courting you."

Galinda paused. "So… the letters are courtship? Like love letters?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I think it's too soon for him to be declaring undying love and adoration for you, Glin. Fiyero says Micah is much too proper to do such a thing through a letter before declaring his intentions in person, and I agree."

Galinda squealed, making Elphaba wince slightly at the volume. "Oh, that is so sweet! Just think- if I keep every letter he sends me, and he keeps mine… oh, wouldn't we have just the most romantic love story _ever_ to tell our grandchildren?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. On one hand, she was sure she'd satisfied Galinda's request for a distraction from the exams, but on the other hand… now that the blonde was distracted, there was no way Elphaba would be able to continue reading her book.

Now that it was out in the open, Galinda was all for sharing her news and feelings about Micah with her best friend, pulling all her letters she'd received out a hat box under her bed.

"So, this all started how?" Elphaba asked, trying to show an interest.

"At the OzDust!" Galinda replied. "I was looking for you, and asked Micah were you were. He said he'd seen Fiyero lead you out the back a few minutes before but when I went out there, I couldn't see you."

Elphaba blushed, realising that she and Fiyero had been in the janitor's closet at that moment.

"So, I went back and Micah asked if I thought everything was alright between you two, and he told me that Fiyero had told him and Corin that you had had a fight. The conversation kind of went from there."

"You were talking about Fiyero and I?" Elphaba asked, not sure how she felt about that.

Galinda smiled. "Only good stuff, Elphie. He was talking about how good you are for Fiyero, and then we talked about how perfect you are for one another!"

Then she paused thoughtfully and raised an eyebrow. "So, where _were_ you and Fiyero when I was looking for you?"

Elphaba groaned. She had managed to avoid this question in the immediate aftermath of her birthday.

"I told you Glin, he wanted to give me my present privately."

"Yes," Galinda paused to shoot a loving glance at the ring that adorned Elphaba's right hand. "But you never said where you were. And you blushed when I mentioned it earlier."

Damn. Elphaba had hoped she hadn't noticed.

"We- we were… in the janitor's closet," Elphaba answered embarrassedly and Galinda's eyes widened.

"Oh. My. Oz. Elphie! What were you doing?"

"Nothing!" Elphaba exclaimed. "Like I said… he wanted to give me the ring in private."

Galinda scoffed. "Right. And nothing else happened. That's why you're blushing and won't look me in the eye."

"Don't you have studying to do?" Elphaba demanded, but Galinda caught her arm, her gaze gentle and pleading.

"Elphie? Talk to me, please? You don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with, but this is what best friends are for! To share secrets and confide in… and the last secret you told me sucked," Galinda said bluntly, and Elphaba laughed despite herself.

Remembering that night, so long ago, she cast a look over her shoulder at her pillow, where her mother's green bottle still resided.

If Elphaba were honest with herself, it might be good to tell her friend. Elphaba and Fiyero had never talked about what happened in the closet between them, but she could still hear his words in her ear like he was right there…

"_I am going to do this right with you. Which means the first time I make love to you is not going to be in a janitor's closet."_

But sex was one thing Elphaba would never be comfortable talking about- whether to Fiyero or Galinda.

She haltingly and embarrassedly told Galinda a vague idea of what had happened that night and Galinda was thoughtful when she'd finished.

"Wow… and nothing's happened since then?"

Elphaba sighed. "I'm not sleeping with Fiyero, Galinda."

"I didn't say you were!" Galinda replied patiently. "I just asked if anything had happened."

Elphaba sighed again. No, nothing had happened- at least, nothing that brought them closer to that line which Elphaba was so hesitant to cross. Fiyero was careful to stop anything before it got that far, and she knew why. This was a subject, the one area of their relationship he was uncertain in, and he would never dream of pushing or pressuring her on the idea.

"You guys have been together for a long time now," Galinda said.

Elphaba nodded slowly. It would be ten months only a day before exams ended.

"That doesn't mean anything," she pointed out. "And… something like this is big, Glin."

"You only get to lose your virginity once," Galinda agreed. "I'm sure Fiyero would agree to that."

Elphaba nodded again. Fiyero's words in the janitor's closet had been enough for her to know he felt that way- "I'm going to do this right with you" spoke volumes to her.

"Well, you know the rumours," Elphaba said with a weak smile.

"And _you_ know Fiyero loves you like he's never loved anyone before," Galinda replied gently.

Elphaba nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"And he'd _never_ push you to-"

"I _know_, Glin," she interrupted. "But… how do I know when- or if- I'm ready for that? No one's seen me naked since I was old enough to dress and bathe myself," she chuckled, inwardly cringing.

She didn't know why that idea scared her. Fiyero _knew_ she was green, and was under no impression that she wasn't green all over- even if that _was_ one of the questions that had floated around campus for the first semester Elphaba had been at Shiz.

Galinda wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her gently. "Do you love Fiyero?"

Elphaba shot her an exasperated look. "Galinda, what kind of question-?"

"Just answer it," Galinda cut her off. "Do you love Fiyero?"

"Yes," Elphaba answered.

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes," she answered again, softer this time.

"Then trust yourself. You'll know," Galinda said simply and Elphaba smiled.

"Thanks, Glin," she said sincerely, returning the hug. "Now go study," she insisted and Galinda's eyes widened.

"Sweet Oz, I've already forgotten _everything_ I just read!" she wailed, fleeing back to her desk and Elphaba chuckled, returning to her book.

The exams themselves went relatively well, there were only two mid-exam meltdowns by students. Elphaba was relatively confident on how she'd gone, but she didn't express that confidence aloud. Of course there were the usual routines- Elphaba only got two hours sleep the night after she'd sat her law exam, because she couldn't remember for the life of her if she'd included a few important details in her final essay; and Galinda almost had a panic attack when she'd sat down for her Life Sciences exam to realise her 'lucky' pen was out of ink.

Although Elphaba thought it was ridiculous for Galinda to believe one pen would decide whether she passed or failed her exams, she patiently reminded her friend to breathe and lent her one of her own pens- refraining from pointing out this was why the teachers had suggested they bring more than one pen into the exam room.

Fiyero was just happy once the exams was over- he was still disgruntled his birthday had consisted of a three hour exam, a hasty dinner with Elphaba at the Wilted Rose and then a study group in his suite with the others for their Life Sciences exam the next day. And even more so when his and Elphaba's ten month anniversary was pretty much the same. Once their last exam was complete, they had four days before the semester was over.

Some students left as soon as their last exam was done, and others trickled out over the next few days. Galinda and Fiyero had both decided respectively to wait around until Elphaba, Nessa and Boq left, on the last day. This was Elphaba's decision, she was still dreading returning to Munchkinland.

"I wonder if anything interesting will happen this summer," Galinda said sleepily the night before they left, as she and Elphaba were going to sleep.

Elphaba snorted. "Not in Munchkinland, I promise you."

Galinda giggled. "That's what you said last year, and you came back dating Fiyero."

Elphaba thought about that and realised her friend had a point. It was slightly surreal to think how much had changed in only a year. A year ago, she never would have believed it if someone had told her that Fiyero loved her- not even Fiyero himself. And now here she was, with a _boyfriend, _who she was about to be apart from for the next two months.

And even though Elphaba had laughed at Fiyero or rolled her eyes every time he moaned and groaned about spending two months apart, including their one year anniversary; as she lay there in the dark, she actually felt slightly panicked. Two months was a long time, especially trapped in Munchkinland with Frex.

It was so unlike her to feel like this, she had always prided herself on being independent and not relying on anyone. But she and Fiyero hadn't been apart since they'd begun dating, and Elphaba was faintly worried about what that meant. Was she _too_ dependent on Fiyero's presence? The last thing she wanted was to be one of those people who lost their individuality in their relationship, but she also was worried about whether two months apart would make their relationship stronger or weaker.

Sleep eluded her as she wrestled with these thoughts, and watched the clock on her nightstand tick closer to midnight. As midnight passed and she found herself watching one o'clock draw nearer, she gave up with a groan and slipped out of bed, pulling on her robe and slipping out of the room as Galinda slept.

Elphaba stole through the deserted grounds of Shiz to the boys dormitories, and up to Fiyero's suite where she knocked on the door as loud as she dared. There was a very long pause, and Elphaba groaned to herself, the eerie silence of the hall making her nervous, and making her decision seem very stupid suddenly.

"Elphaba, you're a fool," she muttered to herself. "It's the middle of the night and you're being an idiot."

She turned and began to walk away, intending to return to her room and read until sleep claimed her or dawn came, whichever came first. But she'd only gotten halfway to the staircase when the door opened and Fiyero entered the hallway, half-asleep, surprised and confused.

"Elphaba?"

Elphaba turned slowly and grimaced apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Fiyero moved towards her, with a gentle shake of his head and concern etched on his face. "Forget it, Fae. Are you okay?"

Elphaba hesitated, then crossed her arms in front of her chest with a nod. "Yes, I just- I couldn't sleep. It was nothing, just forget it. I'm going to go."

Fiyero strode forward quickly and caught her arm. "Hey!"

He caught her chin gently and titled her face up to meet his. "Don't give me that," he scolded her gently. "What's going on?"

Elphaba sighed and buried her face in her hands. "You're going to think I'm an idiot."

Fiyero chuckled. "I doubt that, but try me anyway."

"I was just… thinking about this summer. Compared to last summer… a lot's changed in a year. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen… two months is a long time."

Fiyero smiled and wrapped her in his arms, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm going to miss you too, Fae."

Elphaba relaxed into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to go back," she sighed and Fiyero's arms tightened around her.

"I'm not thrilled about you going back there, either, green girl. I know you can't… Nessa and such… but I wish you would have considered coming to the Vinkus for the summer."

"I asked."

Her whisper was so faint, Fiyero almost didn't hear it. Startled, he pulled back to meet her gaze.

"What?"

Elphaba swallowed and lowered her gaze. "I wrote to my father, asking him if I could spend the summer with you. It- it was going to be a surprise, if he said yes. No prizes for guessing what he said," she shrugged forcing a smile and Fiyero dipped his head and kissed her softly.

Just the fact that she had asked, even as she argued with him that it was impossible, was just another reason Fiyero loved her.

Elphaba kissed him back eagerly and Fiyero quickly deepened the kiss, pulling her closer and snaring his fingers in her hair. He gently but forcibly moved her backwards until she was pressed against the wall of the corridor and Elphaba shivered as his hands moved to encircle her waist beneath her robe.

As always, Fiyero eventually made to pull away, however reluctantly, but Elphaba shook her head, her hands tightly grasping his shoulders.

"Don't," she whispered.

Fiyero hesitated, meeting her gaze. "Fae-"

She knew what he was asking, wanting to give her a chance to change her mind. But as she looked into his blue eyes, so full of love, all Elphaba felt was love for him and security.

"Don't," she whispered again and that was all Fiyero needed before he drew her to him again, tighter this time, and swept her into his arms as he headed back to his room.


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Oh My Oz. _Wicked_... where do I start? It was just as amazing as the first time I saw it, I got to see Jemma Rix again (my favourite Elphaba who I've been lucky enough to see all 4 times I've seen the show). And then afterwards, I went to the stage door, and I met Jemma, Lucy Durack (Glinda) and David Harris (Fiyero)! And I got their autographs, and I also got a hug from Jemma! When I got the photo with David, he put his arm around my shoulders and I swear I had a total Boq moment- "You're touching me!" (said in my head, not aloud). **

**As I mentioned, I took my parents to see it and they both enjoyed it (I think... they said they did). They still don't understand why I've had to see it 4 times though... although the first time in the whole show my dad laughed was Elphaba's "I'm beautifully tragic" line. But he really enjoyed 'Popular' (how can you not?) **

**I was on such a major high all of Tuesday, and then yesterday... I was still on the high, but after only a few hours sleep and coming off the high... my parents didn't quite know what to do when I abruptly burst into tears... so I am still sleep derpived, and suffering from what all Wicked fans know too well... "that ache when reality sets back in" and we realise we already want to see the show again *sob*. For those who follow me on twitter (username carlie_eades), you can see the photos! I posted them August 18- and even if you don't follow me, but want to see the photos, you can still see my account because it's a public one. **

**The poem is Lord Byron, "She walks in beauty." I thought it was pretty.**

**13**

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" had never been a truer sentiment for Elphaba that summer. She knew she'd miss Fiyero, but she hadn't expected just to what extent. Although the Tiggular's had only stayed in Munchkinland for three weeks, Elphaba continuously expected Fiyero to enter the kitchen or the living room, or just to _be _there. Instead, she got frequent letters and the memory of their last night together.

For Elphaba, there was a new kind of joy and peace she'd experienced as she awoke in Fiyero's arms. And she got nothing like that feeling here in Munchkinland.

Frex was as cold as ever- to Elphaba, anyway. And although he made no direct mention of Fiyero or Elphaba's relationship with the Vinkus prince; he'd given Elphaba a stern talking to when she'd first arrived home about her responsibilities at home and to Nessa.

It had been a long summer, and when Elphaba awoke on the morning of August 26th, she missed Fiyero more than ever, despite the fact there was only a few days before they would return to Shiz. It was their one-year anniversary, a whole year since Fiyero had stood on the foyer staircase and admitted his feelings for her, and here they were- she in Munchkinland, and him in the Vinkus, on the other side of Oz.

It was a Sunday, meaning baking day, and Elphaba was unusually quiet as she served breakfast to Frex and Nessa before preparing to begin her baking. Nessa knew what was wrong and gave her sister a sympathetic smile as she wheeled herself into the living room to read for a while.

"Happy anniversary, Elphaba," she muttered to herself as he kneaded the dough for the bread.

As per his custom, Boq turned up for lunch, he had long since given up any form of pretence for his convenient visits on baking day to the governor's household.

"Hi, Elphaba," he greeted her as he stepped inside. "Happy anniversary."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Thank you, Boq," she replied, even if she would a million times rather it was Fiyero saying those words.

After lunch, Elphaba decided to make chocolate calzones for dessert, at the request of Nessa. She had just put them into the oven to cook, when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it, Elphaba!" Boq called out.

"Thanks, Boq," she called back.

There was a long pause, and then Nessa's voice sounded out, her tone odd.

"Uh, Fabala? You might want to come here."

Frowning worriedly, Elphaba hastily wiped her hands on her apron and headed to the foyer to see what the drama was about.

"Who's at the door, Nessie?"

Elphaba stopped in her tracks as she entered the foyer. There were three Munchkins from the post office traipsing in and out of the house, each returning with a vase of red roses, which Boq was hastily directing them to place on various surfaces around the room. There was also a large box on Nessa's lap.

"What in the name of Oz?" a voice exclaimed, translating the one coherent thought Elphaba could think aloud and she turned to see Frex emerging from his study, his face confused.

"They just came, Father," Nessa explained.

One of the Munchkins bowed slightly to the Governor. "That's all of them, sir. But there's a letter to go with them- it's addressed to Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba's eyes widened, as everything clicked into place. Only one person would think to send her dozens of roses.

"Thank you," she said, stepping forward to take the letter.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say Fiyero was behind this," Nessa laughed, admiring one of the six vases of beautiful red roses that now adorned the foyer.

Most of them were large and full, but there were a few smaller bouquets amongst them and the effect was breathtaking.

Elphaba opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside, immediately breaking into a smile to see Fiyero's handwriting.

"To my favourite green girl,

Happy anniversary, Fae.

If you're reading this, then that means my brilliant plan succeeded... meaning Boq didn't forget to arrange it. I hope you like the flowers. There is exactly 133 roses here, and I promise you there is a reason. These flowers say everything I'm not there to tell you myself, and everything I've tried to tell you a hundred times before in the past year- in the hope that you'll listen this time because you can't argue with flowers.

The small bouquet of 10 roses simply means "you are perfect." And you are Fae, no matter how much you argue that with me, you are perfect in my eyes and it is your imperfections and your flaws that make you perfect.

The vase of 24 means "forever yours." I am yours forever, Fae. I promised you that. No matter what the future holds for us, I am forever yours. Always remember that.

Lastly, the four large vases are combined to hold 99 roses. Together, they symbolise my promise to you Elphaba, today and for eternity- "I will love you for the rest of my life."

I love you more than anything, Fae. For your beauty, and your intelligence; your grace and your pure, good, beautiful heart, I love you. This is just the first year of many for us, my darling green girl and I can't wait until I can see you again.

All my love,

Yero."

Frex was glowering at the flowers littering his foyer suspiciously, as though hoping they would go away if he glared at them hard enough. But when he heard Nessa hesitantly ask,

"Elphaba?"

He looked up and was surprised to see Elphaba staring at the letter in her hands, one trembling hand over her mouth and tears shining in her eyes. Frex couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his eldest daughter cry.

Neither could Nessa and this was why she was concerned. "Elphaba, are you okay?"

Elphaba blinked and looked at her sister, then down at her lap.

"What's in the box?"

"It was the first thing they brought in," Boq explained.

Elphaba smiled at him. "And what are you getting out of this?"

Boq reddened but grinned sheepishly. "Just to see the look on your face," he chuckled and Elphaba laughed.

Nessa was stunned. "Boq! You knew about this?"

"Fiyero asked me to arrange for the delivery," he admitted. "To make sure it happened today, and that everything went according to his plan."

"Well, he had a lot of faith in you," Elphaba chuckled and Boq looked confused.

She took the box from her sister and knelt down on the floor to open it.

"What did he write?" Nessa asked and Elphaba hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted her sister to read something so personal.

"Read it yourself," she said finally, handing it to her.

As Nessa read, Boq peering over her shoulder, Elphaba opened the box to see what was inside. There was an old book, a small bottle of something and a small box, which contained a pair of diamond earrings to match the choker necklace he'd given her for Lurlinemas. The bottle turned out to be perfume, which smelt sweet, and when she picked up the book, she saw a bookmark sticking out of the pages.

Flipping it open to the page, she saw another note in Fiyero's writing.

"Found this and thought of you. Love Yero."

It was a book of poetry and Elphaba frowned as she carefully removed the bookmark to read the poem he had marked.

"She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!"

Even if Elphaba would have disagreed with Fiyero associating this poem with her, she couldn't deny the sentiment behind it, and it made her miss Fiyero more than ever. Gingerly running her fingers over the page, she looked up to see her sister in silent tears.

"This is really beautiful, Fabala."

Elphaba blushed as she took the letter back.

"Yeah," she murmured, standing up and burying her face in the closet vase.

"Where are you going to put them all?" Boq asked and she laughed.

"I have no idea."

In the end, they found spots. The two smaller bouquets went into Elphaba's room, and the four large ones were scattered around the house, including one in Nessa's room, at her insistence.

But the delivery had had the intended reaction, and brightened Elphaba's mood significantly. Frex on the other hand was not happy, especially as the story spread rapidly through Munchkinland. As she drifted off to sleep that night, the scent of roses in the room, Elphaba considered that even if she and Fiyero couldn't be together, their anniversary was pretty much perfect.

For his part, Fiyero found he was never so impatient to get to Shiz as he was that year. He was travelling with his parents, who were going to continue onto the Emerald City after leaving him at Shiz. Ibrahim wanted to see the campus, and Kasmira was hoping for a chance to see Elphaba, which was of course, was what Fiyero was most eager for. Mail took so long to travel across Oz that there would have been no point for Elphaba sending him any mail after their anniversary, because she'd see him before he'd get it.

Kasmira and Ibrahim could sense their son's impatience as they made their way to Shiz and Ibrahim had to try hard to hide his smirk from Fiyero- not that he would have noticed it anyway.

He wasn't sure if Elphaba would be there already when he arrived, the last letter she'd had written had said she was hoping to leave Munchkinland as soon as possible, but it depended on her father and his plans. Galinda, he assumed, wouldn't arrive until the last minute so she could make a grand entrance, and Boq was planning to travel with the Thropp girls.

But he was surprised when he arrived at Shiz and began taking his luggage up to his rooms, when Galinda came and knocked on the door.

"You're here early," he greeted her. "Term doesn't start for another three days!"

"Momsie and Popsicle bought me some new things for my dorm room, because it's our last year," she explained excitedly.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "So you came early to put it all up so when Fae sees it she can't complain?"

"She won't complain!" Galinda insisted and Fiyero raised an eyebrow.

"Is it pink?"

Galinda paused. "Not all of it," she conceded and Fiyero laughed.

"So, she's not here yet?" he asked disappointedly and Galinda smiled knowingly.

"No, sorry. Say-"

"Yes, Micah asked me to give you this," Fiyero finished before she could ask, pulling a letter out of his pocket and handing it to the blonde, who squealed and tucked it securely in her purse to read later in private.

Kasmira looked pleased as she looked out Fiyero's window. "Shiz does have a lovely campus, Yero."

"And a wonderful library," Ibrahim added approvingly, entering the room with the last of Fiyero's bags.

"I can see why Elphaba likes it here."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "She practically _lives_ there. Of course, that will probably change this year," she added slyly, with a subtle smirk in Fiyero's direction.

Fiyero frowned warningly at her. Only Galinda knew what had happened at the end of the semester between Elphaba and Fiyero- waking up to find her roommate gone had kind of demanded an explanation, and Elphaba had been unable to think of anything to say but a vague, glossed over version of the truth.

His parents, luckily, didn't pick up on anything amiss in Galinda's comment.

"Yes, you said she's taking less classes this semester, Yero?" Ibrahim asked and Fiyero nodded.

In accordance to her promise after their fight last year, Elphaba had lightened her workload for this year. She had dropped logic, law and sorcery (much to Madame Morrible's disapproval), so was only doing a class each in politics, life sciences, literature and history. She and Fiyero had agreed four was a reasonable amount, that wouldn't leave her stretching herself too thin. She hated giving up law, but she had made Fiyero a promise and she desperately wanted to take Dr Dillamond's class.

"Hey, Fiyero! You might want to see this," Galinda sang out suddenly, standing with Kasmira by the window.

Frowning, Fiyero looked over the top of her head, and his heart leapt into his throat as he saw a carriage pull up outside the building where the staff's quarters were, which was only two buildings down from the boy's dormitories. The door opened, and Boq leapt out, which meant-

"Elphaba," he breathed excitedly and hurried out of the room.

He could see her as soon as he got outside, she was wearing a dark blue summery dress, that reached just below her knees and had thin straps. Her long hair was in a secure ponytail and hanging down her back, and she had a cotton shawl wrapped loosely around her arms to ward off the slight breeze that was blowing, signifying summer was definitely over.

Frex had accompanied Boq and his daughters to Shiz, wanting to see Nessa off for her final year at Shiz. He was just beginning to unload the luggage when Boq looked up and sighed.

"Damn. I owe you a coffee, Nessa."

Elphaba frowned at the Munchkin. "What are you talking about Boq?"

Nessa looked delighted. "Boq and I had a bet and he lost. I told you Fiyero wouldn't last more than a minute after we arrived!"

Elphaba whirled around and saw Fiyero approaching them. She didn't even see Galinda or Ibrahim and Kasmira following a short way behind him. Her face breaking into a brilliant smile, she left Nessa and the carriage and hurried towards Fiyero.

Fiyero was pleasantly surprised as she reached him and immediately placed her hands on either side of his jaw, drawing him to her for a deep kiss. He didn't protest, his own arms tightening around her hips easily.

"So, you got my present?" he asked lightly and she rolled her eyes softly.

"One hundred and thirty-three roses," she sighed, slightly exasperated.

Fiyero smirked. "Well, if this is the reaction I get, it can't have been too bad."

"It was part of it," she replied and Fiyero frowned in confusion.

She grinned wickedly at him. "How shocked does my father look right now?"

Fiyero laughed, and his eyes flickered behind her to find Frex's face, who looked both shocked and disapproving. Nessa and Boq, both more than used to these sorts of displays by now, only looked amused.

"Hmmm, pretty shocked. But I reckon we can do better," he grinned, lowering his head and again and Elphaba's laughter was smothered out by his lips.


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. And also, I just had to share this, because it's awesome. So: everyone knows I'm Australian right? (Please, hold the applause. I know we're awesome, but I have a point to make). Anyway, Australia is commonly known as "Oz"; so needless to say I'm quite proud and excited to say as often as I can that I live in Oz. And then I was looking at the map of Oz (the one in the book) and realised, that if Australia actually was Oz, I would be living in Munchkinland- which is great for my whole "inner-Elphaba" thing. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed. And again, pay attention to this chapter for future notice!**

**14**

"Alright, I think we'll leave it here for today. Please read chapter twelve for next class and be prepared to discuss it! Class dismissed."

Fiyero shoved his notebook in his bag and hurried down to the front of the room where Dr Dillamond was wiping the board clear of notes.

"Dr Dillamond?"

The Goat turned and smiled to see the Vinkus prince standing there.

"Ah, Mr Tiggular. You'd like notes for Miss Elphaba so she can make up the class?"

Fiyero grinned. "Please. I'll give her mine, but I'm sure she'd much prefer yours. Apparently my note taking leaves something to be desired," he laughed and Dr Dillamond chuckled.

"Even after all this time of studying with Miss Elphaba?"

Fiyero shrugged sheepishly and the Goat handed him the notes he'd used to give the lecture that day.

"Thank you, sir," he said gratefully. "Boq's the only one of us who can take notes good enough to please Elphaba."

Boq was also in the class with Fiyero and Elphaba, but had been called home to Munchkinland after his father had had an accident whilst farming. Nessa had decided not to take the class and Galinda had no passion for history- she couldn't see why people would want to always harp upon the past.

"How is Miss Elphaba feeling?" the Goat asked in gentle concern for his favourite student.

Fiyero smiled softly. "She'll be alright, she's getting plenty of rest."

Dr Dillamond shook his head. "Poor girl. Food poisoning is not fun. Has she investigated the possibility of an allergy? This does seem to occur on and off."

Fiyero stalled. "Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I'll be sure to pass that idea on," he replied.

He knew Elphaba would appreciate his concern, even if she didn't really have food poisoning, but was instead, once again, bedridden with cramps. Food poisoning seemed to have become the official excuse for anyone who asked whenever this occurred, which Elphaba wasn't exactly thrilled with, but it was far better than telling the truth.

Dr Dillamond snapped his briefcase shut briskly. "Well, please convey my wishes for a speedy recovery to Miss Elphaba," he said and Fiyero nodded.

"I will, sir. Thank you."

Fiyero left and Dr Dillamond shook his head with a slight smile. Elphaba had certainly come a long way from the lonely, ostracized green-skinned girl he'd first met two years ago. And she had definitely been a positive influence on both Galinda Upland and Fiyero Tiggular. Dr Dillamond could see that the Vinkus prince was deeply in love with Elphaba, and it made the old Goat happy to see that she had people like Fiyero and Galinda in her life.

It was early October and so far, their last year at Shiz was going well… except for Boq's father's accident. It meant Boq had to be at home to help with the harvest, and he would miss at least two weeks of classes. Fortunately, Madame Morrible had understood the situation.

Fiyero had no classes then, so he took the opportunity to go and get Elphaba something to eat, which he then took up to her dorm room. When he arrived, Galinda was sitting behind Elphaba on her bed, braiding her damp hair, so Fiyero knew she must have just had one of Galinda's "magic" hot baths.

"I thought you had class, Glin?" he asked, kissing Elphaba's cheek as he handed her the soup and sat himself at the foot of the bed.

Galinda shook her head. "It got cancelled. We didn't get told why, though."

Fiyero reached into his bag and pulled out the papers from Dr Dillamond, which he handed to Elphaba.

"Dr Dillamond said to tell you to get well soon… and to ask if you'd considered the possibility of a food allergy to explain the on-off food poisoning," he said with a grin and Elphaba laughed.

"An allergy? Well, that's something."

As much as she hated to admit it, Galinda's bubble baths always did make her feel better, and the food Fiyero had brought her looked fairly appetising.

"We need to read chapter twelve for next class," he informed her and she nodded.

"I've already read it, but I'll go through it again and make any notes I can bring up for class discussion."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You're crazy, you know that?" he said fondly and she smiled.

"You knew that when you started dating me."

Galinda giggled as she hopped of the bed. "Ok, I'm going to take advantage of my break and go into town. Do you want anything Elphie?"

"No thanks, Glin. I'm good," Elphaba assured her.

Fiyero handed her the food as Galinda skipped out the door and made sure she'd started eating before opening his mouth.

"It was a pretty boring class," he told her. "I mean, the topic was alright, but you and Boq are the ones who gets everyone talking, so… yeah, we mainly just took notes as Dillamond talked."

Elphaba nodded. It was only at lunchtime when the pain had kicked in, and Galinda and Fiyero had both firmly ordered her to bed, and she had reluctantly complied. She knew by now there was no arguing with either of them.

"Did you see Nessa?" she asked him, feeling very warm and cosy with the late afternoon sun streaming through the window and warming the room.

Fiyero nodded. "Yep. She said to tell you she got a letter from your father."

Elphaba grimaced. "Thrillifying."

He grinned knowingly. "And also Boq wrote her. His father's going to be fine, it's just a broken leg, and he'll be back in a week."

Elphaba nodded. "Good. Boq's father is a nice man, I'm glad he's alright. And I suppose at least this is a good learning experience for Boq for when he has his own farm at harvest time."

Fiyero shrugged. "I guess. Now, I could be wrong, but I always thought harvest time was earlier in the season than October?"

Elphaba grinned. "In the Vinkus maybe. Munchkinland has a longer summer, so we can have a longer growing season, and hence a bigger harvest, " she explained.

"Right… and Boq wrote to Nessa because?"

"Because she's the only one he can talk to about the harvest that will actually give a damn," Elphaba laughed.

Not that Elphaba was uninterested, but Nessarose was far more emotionally attached to the well-being of Munchkinland than her sister, being the future Governor and all.

Fiyero couldn't argue with that.

After she'd finished eating, Elphaba eventually dozed off and Fiyero left the room quietly. He hated these times, infrequent as they were, because there was nothing really he could do.

_Yeah, and I bet Elphaba really loves them, _a voice in his head said sarcastically and Fiyero acknowledged that maybe that was a valid point.

He was glad Galinda looked after her best friend however, Elphaba was usually the most stubborn when it came to her own health and weaknesses, but Galinda could always convince Elphaba to take care of herself.

Fiyero was enjoying his studies, as much as he ever did, but he was definitely looking forward to the Lurlinemas holidays. They were all going to the Vinkus again for the break, and Fiyero did love to watch Galinda trying to convince Elphaba of the apparent desperate need to buy a new dress for the occasion.

Sure enough, when Galinda returned from town, she was clutching a few pamphlets in her hand from various dress salons around town.

"Elphie, look! I went through and circled a few I thought would look especially fantastic on you," she chirped happily, sitting on the bed as Elphaba put down Dr Dillamond's notes she was reading.

"Galinda, I'm not feeling well. Can't this wait?" she moaned and Galinda frowned.

"That excuse won't work, Elphie. You look much better than you did at lunch time," she scolded and Elphaba sighed.

"It's only October! Why do I have to think about dresses already?" she demanded and Galinda only glared at her.

"Glin, tell you what? Why don't you just pick me a dress?" she suggested and Galinda's eyes lit up.

"Ooh, really?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Why not? You picked last year's dress and you know well enough that if you try and make me wear pink or something ridiculous I'll hex you, whether I'm still studying sorcery or not."

Galinda giggled and hugged her friend tightly. "You're the best, Elphie! Trust me, you'll love whatever I pick," she promised.

Elphaba smiled. "I'll hold you to that, Glin," she answered and returned to her notes as Galinda gleefully began to study the pamphlets she'd picked up.


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**15**

Galinda was beyond thrillified with her efforts for 'Galindafying' Elphaba for that year's Lurlinemas dinner, and the result. And judging by the look on Elphaba's face as she studied her reflection, Elphaba wasn't exactly unhappy with the results either.

The dress Galinda had picked was black and one shouldered. The one sleeve was a bell sleeve drifting loosely over her wrist and the bodice fitted to her slim figure. Elphaba's hair was pulled back to the side, so it flowed down her bare shoulder and the small amount of makeup she had consented to wear was simple, as was her jewellery.

Actually, picking Elphaba's dress had been the easy part; for reasons Elphaba did not understand, Galinda had been far more worried about her own look.

"Why does it matter so much? You're going to look beautiful no matter what you wear," Elphaba had rolled her eyes at her friend and Galinda beamed.

"That's sweet of you to say, Elphie, but what I wear to this dinner is _very _important. It's the first time I've seen Micah since we started writing one another, and if you and Fiyero are right, and he is waiting until he sees me in person before stating his intentions to court me… I have to look perfect."

Again, Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, if he's been writing to you for nine months already, I doubt one outfit would change his mind of any intentions or feelings he has towards you."

"You don't know that," Galinda replied. "What if I was wearing burnt orange? I look absolutely _horrendible_ in burnt orange, and he might see me and want nothing to do with me anymore."

Elphaba only groaned in exasperation and buried her face in her pillow.

"Trust me, if Micah can survive _this_ craziness, you're fine," she'd muttered.

Galinda had overheard and threw a pillow at her friend.

Eventually, Galinda had chosen a silver-blue dress and she now giggled to herself happily as she studied her reflection.

As the two girls entered the grand dining hall that night, Elphaba looked around and saw Fiyero and Micah talking to Corin and Boq over in a corner. Elphaba smiled as she saw him, she couldn't help but think how handsome he looked. He didn't see her approach, but when she stepped up to his side and he turned his head, his eyes lit up at the sight of her and he immediately drew her to his side, kissing her temple softly.

"Hey, green girl. You look beautiful," he murmured in her ear.

Elphaba smiled up at him. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Micah, much to Elphaba's amusement went bright red when he saw Galinda, and seemed lost for words.

"You look wonderful," he finally managed to say, and Galinda blushed modestly.

"You wouldn't be saying if that if she was wearing burnt orange," Elphaba muttered and Galinda glared at her as the men looked confused.

"I don't understand," Fiyero frowned.

"Never mind," Elphaba said to Fiyero, chuckling.

It was a fabulous dinner as usual, even if once again Fiyero wasn't quite sure what he was eating. After the meal however, as she watched Boq and Fiyero talk with Corin in a corner and Galinda had disappeared Oz only knew where, Elphaba had a strange sensation wash over her.

Nessa noticed her sister's odd look and frowned. "Elphaba? Are you okay?"

Elphaba looked over and nodded reassuringly. "I'm fine, Nessie. I'm- I'm going to go get some air."

Nessa didn't believe her sister truly was fine. "I'll come with you," she decided and Elphaba didn't protest.

They made their way out of the room and onto the terrace. It was cold, but Elphaba didn't seem to notice.

"Elphaba, what's going on?" Nessa asked worriedly and Elphaba sighed, shaking her head.

"Nothing, Nessa."

Nessa stared at her pointedly. "Elphaba."

Elphaba rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I don't know. I just… I just have a strange feeling."

Nessa frowned, knowing all too well about her sister's 'strange feelings' which usually ended up resulting in something happening.

"What kind of feeling?"

Elphaba couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly, which frustrated her to no end. "Like… like something's about to happen which I should know about, but I can't think what it is."

That didn't reassure Nessa. "You don't look well, Fabala. Do you want to sit down?"

Elphaba actually did feel quite ill. There was a throbbing in her head, as if some information or vision was trying to get through a blocked door, and her stomach was churning apprehensively.

"Maybe I should," she admitted, which made Nessa even more worried.

"The garden's right down here," Nessa pointed. "There's seats down there."

There was a small path leading from the terrace to the garden and Elphaba pushed Nessa's chair under the pretence of assisting her sister, but really just wanted something to grasp. The two sisters entered the garden and headed for the closest stone bench.

Two figures were sitting closely entwined on it, illuminated by the reflection of the moonlight on the snow and as Nessa's chair crunched the snow beneath the wheels, they sprang apart.

Galinda blushed furiously, springing to her feet. "Elphie! Nessa!"

Micah stood too, his face turning red. "Uh, hello ladies."

Despite her head and how uneasy she felt, Elphaba couldn't help but laugh at the situation her best friend was struggling to explain. Unconsciously, she placed a hand on her stomach as she laughed, and abruptly her laughter was swallowed by a sharp gasp of pain. A wave of pain shot through her abdomen and her head simultaneously, and her knees buckled slightly.

"Elphie!" Galinda cried out in panic, seeing her friend's expression and Micah leapt forward gallantry, gently taking hold of her arm and guiding her to the seat he and Galinda had just vacated.

"Elphie? What is it?" Galinda asked anxiously, sitting beside her friend and taking her hand.

As the pain subsided, Elphaba shook her head faintly, her hands trembling. "I don't know."

Micah quickly took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders.

"I'm going to get Fiyero," Elphaba heard him mutter to Galinda who only nodded and wrapped a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders.

Nessa took her sister's hand that Galinda had just released, and squeezed it gently.

"Fabala?"

"I'm okay, Nessie," Elphaba replied immediately, even though she wasn't. She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths.

Galinda and Nessa exchanged a look, neither liking how pale Elphaba had become. It wasn't long before they heard hurried footsteps and Fiyero burst into view, his face frantic and Micah, Boq and Corin following close behind.

Fiyero headed straight to Elphaba, crouching down in front of her. "Fae? What happened?"

Elphaba only shook her head, unable to explain, and Fiyero moved to sit next to her and she leaned into his side.

"What happened, Nessa?" he asked her and Nessa took a deep breath.

"We were just sitting inside and Elphaba just got a really… odd look on her face. I've seen that look before, and when I asked her, she said she was having a feeling."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "A feeling?"

Nessa looked at Elphaba, then Galinda, and then back at Fiyero before shrugging. "She gets them every now and then. We can't explain them… she just gets feelings or visions…"

"Visions?" Fiyero repeated.

Nessa nodded in agreement. "Yes… kind of… almost like a prophecy."

Fiyero was stunned and looked down at Elphaba. "We've been together for sixteen months and it's never come up that you're _psychic_?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm not psychic," she muttered.

"It's kind of like her magic," Galinda offered, who had never actually seen it happen before, but had heard about it from both Nessarose and Elphaba. "She can't control it. She can't summon visions or read minds or anything like that."

Nessa nodded. "Yes. But sometimes she gets these feelings and then… something happens."

Elphaba shivered slightly and Fiyero tightened his grip on her. "I haven't had one since I started at Shiz," she said softly. "But I've never had one like this."

"What happened, Elphie?" Galinda asked her.

Elphaba paused briefly. "It… it was a really _odd _feeling. Like there's something about to happen I should know about… but it was blocked."

"Blocked?" Boq asked in confusion.

She nodded faintly, wincing as her temple throbbed again. "Yeah… like a vision was trying to get through, but couldn't… and I mean, any visions I get are hazy at the best of times, but this one…. It was like my brain is trying to keep it from getting through, but the vision is trying to use a battering ramikin to get through."

"So we came out here," Nessa continued the story. "And we… ran into Galinda and Micah… and then suddenly, Fabala-"

Elphaba shook her head with a frown. "I don't know what happened… I just suddenly got this sharp pain in my stomach and it was like… part of the wall keeping the vision back gave way and it tried to surge through."

"Did it work?" Boq questioned and Elphaba shook her head again.

"No," she said in frustration. "It's all so confusifying."

Fiyero was still worried. "Does your stomach still hurt?"

"No. My head aches, but my stomach feels fine."

Fiyero gingerly released Elphaba and stood up. "Izanami's still here. I'm going to ask her to check you over."

Elphaba's head shot up. "What? No, Fiyero-"

He crouched down beside her again, meeting her gaze firmly. "She's been my mother's private physician since before I was born, Fae. She's the best in the Vinkus. I just want- I need to know you're okay."

She shook her head determinedly. "Fiyero, it was just a vision. I'm fine."

"It wasn't _just_ a vision," he insisted. "You said yourself- you've never had something like this before. A pain in your stomach could be anything. Fae, please?"

Elphaba inwardly grimaced as she met his gaze- Fiyero staring beseechingly at her always made it difficult for her to say no.

"Ok," she agreed reluctantly with a heavy sigh and Fiyero looked relieved as he gently helped her stand.

They all headed back inside the castle where Fiyero instructed Galinda to help Elphaba upstairs to her room whilst he went and found Izanami.

"Have you actually spent any time in _your _room since we've been here?" Galinda teased Elphaba in a murmur as they headed upstairs and Elphaba glared at her.

"Laugh all you want Galinda, but I haven't forgotten what Nessa and I interrupted in the gardens," she warned her and Galinda went pink and clammed her mouth shut immediately.

Only a few moments later there was a light tap on the door and Fiyero entered, followed by Izanami.

"Thanks for this, Auntie Iz," he said gratefully and Izanami smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, Yero. Now, shoo!" she ordered him and although Fiyero hesitated, he didn't argue, kissing the top of Elphaba's head softly before he and Galinda left the room.

Izanami turned to Elphaba with a warm smile. "Now, Elphaba. What happened?"

Elphaba decided not to mention the whole vision thing, and just stick with her symptoms. "I just got a really sudden pain in my stomach and my head's throbbing," she admitted reluctantly.

Izanami simply nodded, noting the pale tinge to her face. She carefully examined Elphaba, but found nothing physically wrong with the green girl.

"Well, I can't find anything wrong," she sighed. "It could be perhaps something at dinner simply didn't agree with you. No food allergies?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Elphaba replied.

"Alright. Well, I suggest you get a good night's sleep, perhaps leave the window open a crack to let some fresh air in and if you're no better in the morning, I'm sure Fiyero will let me know," she said with a knowing smile and Elphaba chuckled.

"Thank you, Izanami."

"My pleasure, dearie. Get some rest."

When Izanami left, Elphaba quickly changed and got into bed, following Izanami's instructions. Although the breeze that slipped through the crack in the window was cold, it did help with the throbbing in Elphaba's head.

There came another gentle tap on the door and once again, Fiyero let himself into the room and approached the bed quietly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, kneeling beside the bed.

She had some colour in her face now and looked much better than she had when Fiyero had first seen her.

"Fine. She couldn't find anything wrong with me- I told you it was just the vision."

Fiyero shook his head. "I can't believe you've never mentioned that before."

Elphaba chuckled. "Wouldn't it be rather boring if we knew everything about each other after sixteen months?" she asked pointedly and Fiyero shrugged.

"I guess. You said you haven't had one since you started at Shiz. What was that one?"

Elphaba paused in recollection. "It sounds stupid… it was just a big celebration. I don't know what it was for, but I know… it was something to do with me."

Fiyero grinned, it didn't sound stupid to him. "Well, you _are _going to be queen of the Vinkus one day," he teased her and she laughed.

"Oz, if anyone had told me that then I would have called you crazy!"

Then she frowned slightly, and Fiyero noticed it. "Fae?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a vision," she said slowly. "But I had a similar feeling when we were here last year. Except it wasn't an odd feeling, it was just… happy."

Fiyero's eyes lit up. "Really?"

She nodded with a faint smile. "Yeah. We're going to be happy, Yero."

He grinned as he kissed her. "Well, I must be psychic too, because I could have told you that," he teased her and she rolled her eyes tiredly.

Elphaba looked at the clock and supressed a yawn. It was only around ten-thirty, but she was exhausted. Fiyero could see her begin to tire and hesitated. He would have liked to stay with her, but he knew Elphaba would see it as him being unnecessary overprotective and coddling, which she hated. She was never more independent when she was sick or tired.

So instead, he leaned over and kissed her softly. "Get some sleep, green girl. I'll see you in the morning."

Elphaba gave a small smile in return. "Thank you," she said, knowing he was giving her space without her having to ask for it.

Just as he reached the door, she called out to him quietly. "Yero?"

He turned. "Yeah?"

"Make sure you ask Micah what happened between him and Galinda in the gardens tonight," she said, her eyes drifting closed and Fiyero grinned, wondering what she knew that he didn't.

"Will do."

Elphaba smiled to herself as the door closed behind him. Galinda was going to kill her- but it would so be worth it.


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. And this chapter is for Julia-Caesar in honour of her birthday! Happy Birthday, Jules! Who knew when I got this random review rambling on about Vinkun wildflowers that I was going to making one of my best friends? I think 'Far Longer than forever' will always be one of my favourite stories that I've written, just because it is the foundation of friendship between you, me and Hedwig466 (Hi, Heddy!) You are going to make a great Glinda one day and I will be front row to watch you! Our sometimes-random conversations are things I will always cherish and may your day be filled with Vinkun wildflowers :) xox**

**16**

It was quickly learned amongst the group of young people that the 'incident' between Galinda and Micah in the Kiamo Ko gardens Elphaba and Nessa had interrupted was in fact, Micah stating his intentions towards Miss Upland.

Elphaba had nodded solemnly when Galinda confessed this to her best friend, blushing all the while.

"So… his intention is to stick his tongue halfway down your throat?" she asked and Galinda scowled at her.

Elphaba laughed at her friend's facial expression. She was feeling much better than she had the night before, although she still felt uneasy about the odd feeling she had experienced and hence was taking it easy. But she was having a good day.

Fiyero had woken her up by bringing her breakfast in bed, both a sign of taking care of her and celebrating their anniversary for that month, which hadn't been the biggest surprise.

"You made this?" Elphaba asked deeply impressed as he admitted that fact.

Fiyero shrugged sheepishly. "I had to do _something_ this summer… so I asked our cook for lessons."

"And you waited four months to tell me that?" she demanded.

"Wouldn't it be rather boring if we knew everything about each other after sixteen months?" he repeated her own words from the night before back to her teasingly and she rolled her eyes.

They'd had a quiet morning together in bed, before joining everyone for lunch, which is when Fiyero had "accidentally" let the news slip that Micah and Galinda were now an official couple. Afterwards, when Elphaba had returned to her room, Galinda had followed her and barred Fiyero from the room in revenge, insisting she was in urgent need of a "girl talk."

And now here they were, Galinda sitting curled up on the end of the bed as Elphaba leaned against her pillows, laughing gently at her friend.

"So, what's worrying you?"

Galinda looked surprised. She hadn't expected Elphaba to pick up on it so quickly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as much fun as I'm sure it was to kick Fiyero out of the room in revenge for telling the whole lunch table, I'm pretty sure you weren't lying about needing to talk to me alone. So, what is it, Glin?"

Galinda hesitated. "Do you tell Fiyero everything, Elphie?"

"I tell him as much as I'm comfortable with sharing about myself," Elphaba said slowly. "I don't tell him what happens between my best friend and I in private conversations, however."

Galinda beamed and scrambled across the bed to sit next to Elphaba. "I knew you wouldn't, I just wanted to hear you say it."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Ok, so what is it? I can't promise I'll be much help, but I'll try," she promised.

Galinda took a deep breath. "The last relationship I was in was with Fiyero," she began with an uncomfortable grimace. "And it wasn't that serious… I think it's actually a good thing he fell in love with you when he did."

That startled Elphaba, who even now still felt guilty over knowing she had even indirectly caused her best friend to be hurt.

"What?"

The blonde girl shrugged as she explained. "If he hadn't and we'd kept dating… I think it would have ended badly and we wouldn't have been able to remain friends," she said simply.

"What's this got to do with Micah?"

"This is different," Galinda said thoughtfully. "We actually know each other, it's not just 'I think we're of equal attractiveness so we should date', we actually talk and… it even feels different. I think I- I _really _like him, Elphie. I can see this being a long-term thing, which is so thrillifying."

Elphaba smiled, as her friend's eyes shone brilliantly.

"I will never forget the look in Fiyero's eyes that day when he was telling me he wanted to be with you," Galinda continued softly, looking at Elphaba.

"It's the way he still looks at you now, and I see how much you both have changed since you've been together and how much you love each other. Even when you fight…. How do you do it, Elphie? I know it's going to be hard when I'm back at school and Micah is here, but I still want what you and Fiyero have."

Elphaba was thoughtful for a long moment, not wanting to give Galinda a casual answer when her friend had come to her for advice. She was thankful, however, that there had not been many fights- at least none to the scale of the one they had had back in March.

But it felt so weird that Galinda should come to _her _for relationship advice.

"Galinda, being with Fiyero is the scariest thing I've ever done," she said bluntly and Galinda looked surprised.

"Even after sixteen months, it still scares me," she admitted. "I've always been so good about keeping people out and being alone… to let someone in isn't easy. The best advice I can give you is that relationships are based on two things:-"

"Love," Galinda cut in as though it were the obvious answer and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Alright, three things," she continued dryly. "Taking chances and compromising."

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "Those last two aren't very romantic," she said and Elphaba laughed.

"Galinda, letting Fiyero in and teaching myself to depend on him and trust him is the hardest thing I've ever done. And also the best thing. I took a huge chance- on both of us- by doing it, and now… it's so easy that it does scare me sometimes. Like at the end of last term when we were leaving for the summer… knowing I wasn't going to see him for two months and realising how hard it would be for me not to see him all the time and have him there… that scared me."

"So you solved that issue by sleeping with him?" Galinda asked innocently, getting her own back on Elphaba for teasing her earlier and Elphaba blushed.

"I took your advice," she said in her defence and Galinda frowned.

"My advice?"

"Don't you remember? The night before the exams… you told me to trust Fiyero and trust myself and I'd know when I was ready for that next step… so I did."

Galinda looked incredibly pleased with herself as she recalled the conversation in question. "Oh, yay! I'd forgotten about that!"

Elphaba resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"What kind of compromises do you and Fiyero have to make?" Galinda asked her and Elphaba gave a small shrug.

"All sorts of things."

"Bad compromises?" Galinda questioned, thoroughly enjoying her 'girl talk'.

Elphaba smiled slightly. "Not bad. Different… but if it's the right person you don't mind so much."

"Like you only doing four classes this semester?" Galinda asked and Elphaba nodded.

"Yes. Fiyero was really worried last year that I was doing too much," she admitted. "And not just him, Kasmira as well. And I don't like making him worry, so if this is what it takes, I'll do it. And we've had to learn to accept things about each other… especially since that fight we had. As much as I love Fiyero and being with him, I still need my space at times. I'm lucky that I can turn to him and tell him to go away because he's annoying the hell out of me and he will and not he won't be offended, because he knows that's me. And I've had to learn to talk about things and what I'm thinking, because that's how _he _is. I can't withdraw into myself like I'm used to," she admitted.

Galinda grinned. "That benefits me too," she said happily and Elphaba chuckled.

"But it's other things too… agreeing to celebrate our anniversary every single month," she added as an example with a slight roll of her eyes.

"I don't think it's necessary, but he likes to do it… make a big fuss. But he's compromised on that too," she pointed out. "He's toned it down, because he knows I don't like a big fuss."

"Yeah, one hundred and thirty three roses wasn't a big fuss," Galinda said sarcastically and Elphaba chuckled.

"I made an exception for that one," she grinned. "I can accept that a year is a big milestone. He's also agreed that once we get married, we will _not_ be having a monthly wedding anniversary."

Galinda giggled. "You _do_ know that just means that he'll go all out for your yearly anniversary?"

Elphaba sighed. "I know. It's only once a year, I can live with that."

"And him giving you as much time as you need before getting married? Another compromise?" Galinda asked her and she nodded again.

"Yes. It just how things are done here," she explained, her gaze drifting over to the window momentarily. "If it gets to the point in a relationship where marriage is definitely on the cards, you don't wait unnecessarily. But he's agreed to wait, and I… I'll have to get over my fears and doubts about being a mother- and not just because Fiyero has a duty to provide an heir to the throne."

Galinda was intrigued. "Fiyero wants kids?"

Elphaba hesitated. "We haven't really discussed that in depth," she admitted. "We both know we can't _not_ have kids, because there _does_ need to be an heir. But we haven't talked about it… but I think he does."

"And you don't?"

"I never thought I'd have to worry about it," she replied. "And I never had much to do with children. But I've never imagined myself to have many of the qualities to make a good mother… especially when I never had a mother myself. You know what my childhood was like, Glin."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Yes, you raised Nessa. And look how she's turned out! And I'm sorry- didn't you get a concussion and a sprained ankle two summers ago by rescuing a little girl from being trampled by a horse?"

Elphaba grimaced at the memory. "That doesn't mean I'd be a good mother, Glin…. Fiyero was so mad at me for that."

"Of course he was, he was in love with you and you could have been killed!" Galinda exclaimed.

"Better me than that little girl," Elphaba retorted and Galinda sighed.

"Elphie, I'm not going to argue with you about the value of your life. Fiyero can have _that _job."

Elphaba groaned, picturing how that conversation would go. "Oh, please don't," she begged. "He's still worried about me from last night. It took me fifteen minutes to convince him I was feeling fine and perfectly able to get up for lunch."

Galinda smirked. "Yes, I'm sure that was the only reason you were late to the table."

Elphaba blushed and threw a pillow at her friend.

Downstairs in the sitting room, Fiyero and Corin were quite enjoying needling Micah about the situation between him and Galinda.

"Finally, I can pass on my tips for dating Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands," Fiyero said with a grin and Micah groaned.

"Dude, you dated her for like two months two years ago," he complained, but Fiyero shushed him.

"First of all, if you're picking her up at say, six? Don't show up before quarter past at the latest, because she won't be ready."

"She's going back to school in two weeks and I won't see her for six months," Micah interrupted.

"_Never," _Fiyero continued, talking over him. "Never forget to add "of the Upper Uplands" to her name when introducing her to anyone. Seriously, she didn't talk to me for a week and the only person I introduced her to was the bartender at the OzDust."

Micah looked sceptical. "You're exaggerating."

Fiyero shook his head. "I wish."

Corin clasped Micah on the shoulder. "Should I get you a pen to write this down?" he asked and Micah rolled his eyes.

"I think I'll be fine, thanks Corin."

He raised an eyebrow at Fiyero. "Are these masterful tips payback on Glin for kicking you out of Elphaba's room?"

"No," Fiyero protested. "Well… a little," he admitted. "But that doesn't make it any less true. And she kicked me out of the room!"

"It's not as if it was _your_ room, Yero," Micah chuckled.

"Although Miss Upland… _of the Upper Uplands_," Corin stressed that last part for emphasis before continuing. "Tells us that your room may as well be Elphaba's room since you've been home, until last night."

Fiyero shifted a little in his seat and avoided his friends' gazes. "Shut up," he finally retorted and Corin laughed.

Micah took pity on his friend and leaned forward. "Yero, can I ask you a serious question?"

Corin mimicked his friend's posture. "Oh, yes- a _very_ serious question."

Fiyero glared at Corin. "I'm not telling you anything about mine and Elphaba's sex life," he replied and Corin sighed dramatically in not entirely exaggerated disappointment.

Micah shook his head. "Nothing like that, Fiyero. I was just wondering…. What do you love most about Elphaba?"

Corin shot his friend a disgusted look. "_Really? _That's your question? Do you want to sit in on girl talk with Elphaba and Galinda?" he demanded but Micah ignored him.

Corin rolled his eyes and turned back to Fiyero, and raised an eyebrow to see that he was staring off into the distance, a soft smile on his face.

"Do you mean like… physical thing or personality thing?" he asked and Micah shrugged.

"Either. Both."

Corin groaned. "What happened to you guys? You used to be fun," he complained and was again pointedly ignored.

Fiyero was thoughtful. "I love her hair," he shrugged. "To the point where I've told her she's not allowed to cut it- ever," he admitted sheepishly.

Corin grinned. "And Elphaba said?"

"That it was her hair and if I ever said that again she'd shave it all off," Fiyero grinned at the memory and Micah and Corin both laughed.

"So you've never said another word about it," Micah guessed accurately and Fiyero nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. I don't want to tempt her, because I have no doubt she actually would do it."

"And personality thing?" Micah asked and Fiyero sighed. That was harder.

"I love how she sees the world," he said slowly. "And the people in it. I hadn't known her that long and she called me out on everything…"

Micah and Corin had never heard the story of the Lion Cub and both watched with great interest as Fiyero's mind drifted back to the clearing in the forest, and that moment when Elphaba had seen through the act and the mask all before her had bought without question, and he had fallen utterly in love with her.

When he'd finished the story, Fiyero finally looked back at his old friends and shrugged.

"That's why I love her," he said simply and a heavy silence fell.

Corin abruptly coughed and stood up. "Ok, well, nice chat. I'm going to go before all our periods synch up. See ya, pansies."

Fiyero and Micah exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes in unison.


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I love hearing from you, and hearing your thoughts on which part of the chapters made you laugh, cry or just really spoke to you. A special thanks to PocketSevens, who wrote me the best PM. It was so great to wake up and find that waiting for me. **

**WARNING: The story gets a bit dark from here for a while. Well, maybe not dark, but very emotional. **

**17**

Galinda awoke with a start and wondered sleepily what had disturbed her. Abruptly, a gust of cold March wind rattled the window frame and whistled through the dorm room.

_Well, that would be it,_ she thought dryly, rolling over and seeing that it was six in the morning. The thought of having to go out to class in this wind did not thrill Galinda, and she seriously debated staying in bed all day, where it was warm. Then sighing inwardly, she figured there was no way Elphaba would allow that.

Speaking of Elphaba, Galinda wondered how in Oz's name her best friend could sleep through the whistling of the wind when Elphaba was a lighter sleeper than Galinda was. But as she listened, she realised she couldn't discern her friend's even breathing, even over the wind.

"Elphie?" she whispered and got a soft murmur in reply.

It was an odd sound, and Galinda immediately searched through the darkness for the light to see her roommate better. When her eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw Elphaba was curled up into a tight ball under her thin quilt and blanket.

"Elphie?" she said again, reaching for her warm robe before daring to venture out of bed and crossing to Elphaba's side of the room.

As Elphaba's face came into view, Galinda could see her face was pale and she was grimacing slightly. Galinda sighed sympathetically, it had been months since Elphaba had last suffered cramps.

"When did it start?" she asked gently and Elphaba shook her head.

"Not long. They aren't too bad…. I wouldn't have noticed yet except for the wind."

Galinda nodded. "I'll make you some hot tea and get the hot water bottle," she announced and Elphaba smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Glin."

Elphaba sighed as she grimaced. It was a dull ache in her lower back and abdomen, nothing unusual, and she knew the heat would be a great comfort, especially with the way the wind was howling outside.

Galinda made the tea and gave Elphaba the hot water bottle, and Elphaba sipped the tea as Galinda readied herself, dressing warmly against the wind outside.

"I'll come check on you as soon as I get a chance," she promised.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You do this every time, Glin. You don't have to, I'll be fine. It's just a bit of pain."

"I'll at least bring you lunch," Galinda amended which Elphaba accepted. "And I'll give you my notes from Life Sciences and literature."

They were the two classes they would have together that day and Elphaba smirked at her friend.

"Thanks for the offer, Glin, but I don't think your doodles of "Mrs Micah Forsyth" would help me that much."

Galinda blushed. "I only did that because I was bored," she defended herself.

"You were bored in two classes, lunch and our study hall? Should I let the teachers know the best way to engage your attentions is to have Micah come in and give the lectures?" Elphaba teased.

Galinda glared at her. "I absolutely _loathe _you," she sniffed dignifiedly and Elphaba's laughter followed her down the hall as she left for breakfast.

"Where's Elphaba?" Boq asked when she arrived and took her usual seat. "I need her help on this politics essay."

"She's in bed," Galinda replied. "She's not going to class today."

"Lucky her," Nessa grumbled, shivering even in the cafeteria with all her layers of warm clothing on.

"The wind is really bad," Fiyero agreed. "Is Fae warm enough, Glin?"

"She's got blankets and the hot water bottle," she assured him.

That would have to do, although Fiyero would have felt better if she was in his room, where there was a fireplace. Since he'd learned that heat helped with the pain, Fiyero had been very particular about it, because it was the one thing he could do to help Elphaba.

"So, Boq- you're on note duty," Fiyero clasped the Munchkin boy on the shoulder as they stood up to leave for class and Boq rolled his eyes.

"Aren't I always? What do you do for literature when you can't get me to take notes?"

Fiyero grinned. "Dr Caesaarwigg is more than happy to give Elphaba her own notes."

Galinda had planned to hastily check up on Elphaba between Life Sciences and literature, but the lecture ran late so there was no time to make it to the dormitories and back before literature class.

After literature was lunch, and Nessa suggested they go into town and eat.

"I'm sure something from town will be better for Elphaba than anything from the cafeteria," she pointed out and the others agreed. They went to the Wilted Rose and had a very nice lunch, even though they lamented it would have been better if Elphaba was there.

"Do we want dessert?" Boq asked and Galinda shook his head.

"No, thanks. I'm going to get Elphie lunch and make sure she doesn't need anything before our next class."

"I'll come with you," Fiyero said quickly and Galinda laughed.

"I'm not surprised about that. It's been what, a whole twelve hours since you've last seen her?" she teased and Fiyero grinned sheepishly.

They ordered a sandwich and soup for Elphaba to take away, and headed back to Shiz.

"I hate this wind," Galinda moaned as they hastily headed for the girl's dormitories where they'd be out of the wind.

"Only because it's messing up your hair," Fiyero laughed playfully and Galinda scowled at him.

"Fiyero!"

Fiyero turned to see a boy from his politics class approaching and he lifted a hand in greeting, slowing his steps.

"Here," he said to Galinda, handing her the food. "You go see Fae, I'll be up in a minute."

"Alright," Galinda agreed and continued inside.

It was immediately warmer inside and Galinda sighed in relief as she headed upstairs and entered her and Elphaba's room.

"Elphie? I brought you lunch," she sang out quietly as she entered and noted the bed was empty.

Glancing around, she saw the bathroom door was closed and figured her best friend was in there. She placed the food on Elphaba's nightstand carefully, which was notably free from clutter, unlike Galinda's own nightstand.

Deciding she had time to kill, Galinda decided to change the sheets and re-heat the hot water bottle for her friend before class. She hummed to herself as she pulled off the sheets and bundled them in a ball, which she threw in the hamper. Then she went to Elphaba's closet to keep the spare sheets her roommate kept there, when suddenly she stopped in her tracks and frowned.

As she looked more closely, Galinda saw that the bathroom door was in fact not closed, but only pulled ajar.

"Elphie?" she called out.

There was no answer. Her frown deepening, Galinda hesitantly pushed open the bathroom door and what she saw made her cry out instinctively.

Elphaba was lying crumpled on the floor beside the bathtub, and she was surrounded by a pool of blood. Her face was ashen, her eyes were closed, and she was not moving.

Without another thought, Galinda turned and ran out of the room, hurtling down the stairs and outside, frantically scanning her surroundings.

_"Fiyero!"_ she screamed, seeing him a short distance away, still talking to his classmate.

Fiyero turned immediately at the petrified sound of her voice and saw her eyes wide in horror and panic. Not hesitating, he burst into a run, his classmate at his heels.

"It's Elphie," Galinda croaked out and led them back up to the room and into the bathroom.

When Fiyero entered the bathroom and saw Elphaba's still form on the floor and the blood around her, his whole world stopped. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but stare at the girl he loved lying unconscious on the floor.

"Sweet Oz," he heard his classmate say from behind him with a sharp intake of breath, and that spurred Fiyero into action.

"Nessa and Boq are at the Wilted Rose," he said to the boy hastily. "Find them, and tell them to meet us at the hospital. Got it?"

The boy nodded and ran off as Fiyero steeled himself and knelt down beside Elphaba, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but weak and thready and he forced himself to swallow hard and not think about what that meant.

"Galinda, she's in shock. We need to get her warm," he said, taking off his jacket and rolling it up to place under Elphaba's head.

Galinda was still standing in the doorway, clutching the door frame with one hand and watching the scene with wide eyes.

"Galinda!" he snapped and the blonde jumped as her eyes flew to his. "Get a blanket to cover her," he instructed her and she nodded.

Galinda picked up the thin quilt from Elphaba's bed and then hesitated, before dropping it and pulling her own pink, fluffy quilt off her own bed.

"It's thicker," she explained in a quavering voice as she handed it to Fiyero and he looked at it questioningly and he nodded, wrapping it around Elphaba's body like a cocoon.

"We've got to get her to the hospital," Fiyero said, lifting her easily into his arms. "There's too much blood, I can't stop it and I don't know where it's coming from."

His voice cracked at that, but nothing needed to be said as he and Galinda hurried out of the room, both hoping desperately they weren't too late.


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Wow... to say the response to the last chapter blew me away is an understatement. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. **

**18**

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Galinda's pink bedspread was blood-soaked. The hospital staff immediately took control of the situation, with a Gorilla orderly taking Elphaba out of Fiyero's arms and whisking her behind two doors that read "STAFF ONLY."

"Where are you taking her?" Fiyero demanded, trying to follow, but a nurse who was a Deer, gently stopped him.

"They're going to get her immediate medical attention, I promise you," she soothed, leading him and Galinda over to two free chairs in the waiting room.

"Now, can you tell me her name?"

"Elphaba. Elphaba Melena Thropp," Fiyero said thickly, his eyes on the door Elphaba's limp and unconscious form had vanished through.

The nurse nodded as she began to fill in the details on the admittance papers. "Date of birth?"

"March twenty-second."

"Thank you. Can you tell me what happened?"

Galinda spoke up in a trembling voice. "She- she has this thing... this condition... dys- dys..."

"Dysmenorrhea?" The nurse guessed and Galinda nodded gratefully.

"Yes. She...She doesn't have regular periods. So, she woke up with cramps this morning and she stayed in bed. I went to check on her at lunch time…. She was on the bathroom floor."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"No."

"Can you find out what's going on, please?" Fiyero begged.

The nurse hesitated. "Are you family?"

"I'm her boyfriend," Fiyero replied. "Her sister should be on her way."

"I'm sorry. Only family members can be updated on her condition," the Deer apologised. "The doctor will be out eventually."

Fiyero sighed helplessly as she walked away.

"I don't understand what happened," Galinda whispered and Fiyero slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it tightly.

"Me either, Glin. She'll be alright though… she has to be," he spoke, trying to convince them both of that fact.

Galinda was dazed, she had seen Elphaba only that morning and she had been fine. In a little pain, but fine. Well enough to be sarcastic and poke fun at her, anyway. At a sudden memory, Galinda gasped aloud and shocked Fiyero by bursting into tears.

"Glin? Galinda, what is it?" he asked, at a loss what to do.

Galinda was horrified at herself. "This morning… she was teasing me about- about Micah. Right before I left, I told her…. I told her I loathed her," she choked out, burying her face in her hands.

Fiyero exhaled deeply and pulled her into a hug as she cried. "She knew you were joking," he soothed her, but she just wept desperately.

"What if she doesn't wake up?" she sobbed to him. "What if she dies and those are the last words I ever speak to her?"

Fiyero pulled her away from him and held her by the shoulders firmly. "_Don't_ say that," he ordered her fiercely.

"Don't even _think_ that, understand? Elphaba will _not_ die."

Galinda hiccupped on a sob and Fiyero hugged her again, his thoughts drifting back. He couldn't even remember the last words he had spoken to Elphaba, and that thought made his arms tighten a fraction more around Galinda as he tried to stave off a wave of panic. But Galinda felt it, and she pulled back to look at him in concern.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero's voice shook as he gaped at Galinda. "I- I don't remember," he said, panicked. "I don't remember the last words I said to her. Oh, Oz," he ran his fingers through his hair and racked his brain distraughtly.

Galinda took his hand, sensing Fiyero was on the verge of a breakdown. "Yero, just think," she said patiently and gently. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Uh- last night," he answered shakily. "I- I made dinner."

Galinda smiled weakly. Elphaba loved that Fiyero had learned to cook for her, and they were her favourite dates- second only to the ones where they cooked together. Galinda remembered how happy Elphaba had been when she'd returned to their room the night before.

"She didn't stay with you last night."

Fiyero shook his head. "No."

Elphaba didn't spend the night with Fiyero as often as either of them would like, she couldn't risk getting caught and being expelled.

"Did you walk her back to our room?" Galinda prodded and again Fiyero shook his head.

"No. I wanted to, but the wind was already picking up. She said it was stupid of me to go out and she was perfectly capable of walking back on her own," he said with a faint smile, it was such an Elphaba thing to say.

"So, you said goodnight at your door," Galinda further urged and Fiyero closed his eyes in thought as he nodded….

… "_Why can't you stay?" Fiyero whined as Elphaba wrapped her warm coat, hat and scarf around her in preparation against the winds outside._

_She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Because, Yero. We go through this every time I spend the night in my own room!"_

"_So just give in and stay," he grinned charmingly and she rolled her eyes again._

"_Nice try. I'd better go, or I'll miss curfew."_

"_You know, Miss Thropp, I find it awfully convenient that the timing of your leaving corresponds with getting out of doing the dishes," he teased and she laughed._

"_Damn. You've caught onto my cunning plan," she smirked as she slipped her hands up to the back of his neck and Fiyero grinned as he kissed her._

"_So, I was thinking," he murmured between kisses._

"_Shocking," she returned and he kissed her hard in reply, pressing her into the doorframe and making her giggle._

"_Your birthday's coming up in two weeks," he continued and she groaned, which had nothing to do with him kissing her._

"_You and Galinda aren't planning another party, are you?"_

_He grinned. "No. But I thought maybe we could do something like this, instead of a party."_

_Elphaba raised an eyebrow, which he didn't see because his eyes were shut and his attentions were directed elsewhere._

"_This?"_

_Fiyero chuckled. "I meant dinner. Just the two of us. I'll cook."_

_Elphaba pulled away and smiled up at him. "Sounds perfect," she murmured and Fiyero recaptured her lips in a sweet kiss. _

"_Ok, I really have to go," she sighed reluctantly and Fiyero grimaced as he released her._

"_Fine. Go. Leave me all alone with a mountain of dirty dishes," he sighed and she tapped her hand lightly against his cheek._

"_Maybe this summer, you can find someone to give you lessons on how to be less melodramatic?" she suggested with a smirk and promptly left..._

…Fiyero opened his eyes and looked sadly at Galinda.

"I made a joke about her leaving me to do the dishes," he said miserably and Galinda blinked back fresh tears.

"Yero…"

"Fiyero!"

Fiyero looked up to see Nessa and Boq coming towards them. Nessa's face was pale and Boq looked worried.

"What's going on? We got told to meet you here because Elphaba was bleeding…" Boq trailed off uncertainly.

The boy who had delivered the message hadn't been too coherent, he'd spent a lot of the time trying desperately not to throw up, unable to shake the image of Elphaba lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood.

"We- Galinda found Elphaba unconscious… bleeding," Fiyero said with difficulty. "We don't know what's happening."

Nessa gaped at them in horror. "She'll be okay won't she?" she asked faintly.

Fiyero turned his head to reassure her and froze as he saw that Nessa had her sister's eyes, something he'd never noticed before. Unable to say anything suddenly, he looked away, his eyes burning.

Struggling to regain his composure, he took a deep breath and forced himself to look at Nessa. She met his gaze for a moment, and then her eyes drifted down and she drew in her breath sharply, her face turning a pale shade of grey. Confused, Fiyero followed her gaze to his hands, which he now saw, were stained with blood. _Elphaba's _blood.

His hands shook as he raised them and his mouth went dry.

"Excuse me," he said suddenly, standing up and hastily heading for the bathroom.

At the sink, he scrubbed at his hands and arms until the skin was red and raw, but the blood was gone. As he watched the last remnants swirl down the train and tried desperately not to think about who's blood it was, bile rose in his throat and he whirled around to the toilet, and brought up everything he'd had for lunch only a short time earlier.

Fiyero was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder and he looked around to see Boq there.

"Are you okay?" the Munchkin asked quietly and Fiyero nodded, wiping his mouth as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah… sorry," he muttered, faintly embarrassed but Boq shook his head.

"Forget it."

"I just need a minute," Fiyero took a deep breath and Boq nodded in acknowledgment.

"Sure."

Boq shot Fiyero a faint comforting smile as he gave his friend his privacy. Before re-joining Galinda and Nessa in the waiting room, he took a deep breath of his own. He was worried about Elphaba, but realised it somehow had fallen to him to keep the other three strong right now.

None of them were sure just how long they sat in the waiting room, watching doctors, nurses and orderlies pass through the doors beyond which Elphaba was hidden from them. They didn't talk much, they just sat there- drawing strength and comfort from one another as best they could.

Eventually, finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, a doctor came through the doors, studying his clipboard, before looking up and glancing around the room at the waiting friends, family members and loved ones.

"Thropp?"

Fiyero's head shot up immediately. "Here!" he called out, his stomach clenching and the doctor headed over as the others straightened up apprehensively.

"Is Elphaba okay? What happened to her?" Galinda demanded and the doctor peered at her through his glasses.

"Are you family, Miss?"

"I am," Nessa cut in quickly. "I'm her sister. Please, is she okay?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid I can only release information on a patient's condition to family members. Shall we talk privately? I actually have a few questions."

Fiyero glowered furiously at the man, but Nessa nodded. "Of course."

Fiyero's hand formed a fist as Nessa wheeled herself to the other side of the room, out of earshot.

"Only family members?" he repeated angrily. "We _are_ her family. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her, I'm going to _marry_ her, but I can't know anything until there's a ring on her finger? Do they really think that's going to make a difference? That if Frex was here, he'd give a damn?"

"I know, Fiyero, I know," Galinda said softly.

They watched the doctor talk to Nessa, and intently watched Nessa's face for any reaction. Fiyero's stomach clenched as Nessa gaped at the man, paled and then her eyes shot to Fiyero and back again, her gaze hardening and an odd look crossing her face.

_Please tell me she's alive,_ Fiyero begged mentally as Nessa slowly turned and began to wheel herself back to the group, the doctor at her heels. _Just tell me she's alive and she's going to be okay. Then I can breathe again. Just please tell me she's alive._

Nessa's face was hard as she stopped her chair in front of Fiyero.

"Is Elphie- is she alive?" Galinda was the first to voice the question they all desperately wanted an answer to, and Nessa's face softened for a moment as she looked at the blonde.

"Yes, she's alive," she replied and Fiyero felt a crushing wave of relief hit him like a brick.

"Thank Oz," he whispered and Galinda burst into tears again.

"Fiyero?"

Feeling a thousand times lighter, Fiyero looked at Nessa, wondering why she didn't look more happy at this news.

"Yeah?" he croaked out, feeling like he too, could burst into tears.

"Are you sleeping with Elphaba?"

Fiyero was stunned at the question and stalled. Elphaba had always made a point of keeping that fact from her sister, knowing she wouldn't approve; and Fiyero wasn't sure why Nessarose was asking.

"Yes," he finally answered honestly, not sure what else to say and Nessa's lips tightened.

"I- I don't understand. Why are you asking me that? What's wrong with Elphaba?" he asked anxiously and Nessa looked up at the doctor, giving him a small nod.

"You can tell them."

The doctor sighed. "Elphaba is stable. She lost a lot of blood, and she still has very low blood pressure, but we're giving her transfusions and in time she will be fine. Sir, I'm sorry to tell you that she lost the baby. There's no reason we could find to explain why this happened, one in every four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. The further into the pregnancy a woman is, the more the blood loss, I'm afraid. She was very lucky, she was haemorrhaging very badly… most likely, she'd been miscarrying since this morning. She really should have come in as soon as the bleeding started. I'm sorry for your loss."

Fiyero heard almost nothing after the word 'baby'. He just gaped at the doctor as he finished talking, nodded to the group and walked away, leaving a stunned silence behind.

"Wait… what?" he said hoarsely and turned to Galinda weakly, who looked just as stunned.

"Oh, sweet Oz," she murmured faintly.

Boq didn't quite know what to say. "You didn't know she was pregnant?" he asked Fiyero carefully, who shook his head dazedly.

"No, I… she mustn't have known either."

"Are you sure?" Nessa asked him sharply.

Fiyero looked at her with a frown. "Yes, I'm sure. She would have told me if she'd known."

Galinda nodded in agreement, but Nessa didn't look convinced.

"The doctor said she was twelve weeks. That's three and a half months, Fiyero. Are you sure-"

"She would have told me, Nessa," Fiyero snapped at her, cutting her off.

He was completely in shock and the relief he'd felt at knowing Elphaba was alive and stable was abruptly gone. Elphaba was pregnant… she _had _been pregnant… and was no more.

"Where is she? Does she know?" Galinda asked Nessa, who swallowed hard as she recalled what the doctor had told her.

"She's in recovery at the moment. They- they did surgery… and gave her four transfusions. The doctor went to tell her now. He's going to come back when they move her into a room."

Fiyero shook his head. "She shouldn't hear it from a stranger," he murmured, his heart aching as he tried to picture how Elphaba would feel to be told by somebody she didn't know that she had lost a baby she didn't even know she was carrying, and nearly died in the process. There was no doubt in either Fiyero's or Galinda's mind that Elphaba had not known about the pregnancy, Fiyero was certain she would have told him if she had.

"How long have you been sleeping with her?" Nessa demanded of Fiyero.

"That's really none of your business, Nessa," Fiyero replied firmly but gently.

"It is when it almost gets her _killed_," Nessa hissed and Fiyero flinched.

"Nessa!" Galinda exclaimed, horrified.

"You're not married, it's not right," Nessa insisted disapprovingly and Fiyero's eyes narrowed.

"We're not married _yet_. I _am_ going to marry her one day, Nessa. And this is none of your business."

"What am I supposed to tell my father?" Nessa demanded and Fiyero's eyes widened.

"Don't. Don't tell him anything," he begged. "He doesn't need to know."

Nessa's eyes widened. "Fiyero, Elphaba could have _died!"_

"Like he would have given a damn if she had," he replied coldly and it was Nessa's turn to flinch.

"Don't say that-"

"Why? It's true," he insisted. "Don't forget, Nessa- I was there when she almost got trampled by a horse. And your father didn't care at all. So why would this be any different?"

"Because she almost bled to death after she miscarried the illegitimate heir to the Vinkus throne," Nessa replied and Fiyero felt as though he'd been struck.

"Nessa, don't," Galinda murmured and Nessa fell silent, abashed.

To Galinda, she firmly believed that Fiyero was right and Elphaba hadn't known about the pregnancy either. After all, it wasn't uncommon for her to go months between periods and they all knew how much pain she experienced when they did come. Elphaba would have had no reason to suspect this wasn't like every other time.

Fiyero didn't speak another word to Nessa until the Deer from the nurses' station in the lobby came over and told them Elphaba had been moved into a private room.

"She's awake but groggy," she warned them. "She's also still very weak- we're giving her another transfusion. The doctor said only one of you can see her for now and only for a few minutes."

"I want to see her," Nessa said immediately as the nurse left. "She's my sister."

Fiyero knelt down in front of her chair so he could look her in the eye. "I know that Nessa. But whether you approve or not, the truth is that Elphaba and I just lost a baby."

He felt sick again as he said that, it had just struck him that that's what had happened- he and Elphaba had lost a baby. A _baby_…

Nessa hesitated, but then Fiyero glanced up and saw Galinda. Her face was blotchy and pale, her make up in streaks down her face and she didn't look like her usual bubbly self. He sighed as he straightened up and then took a deep breath.

"Actually… I think Glin should see her."

Galinda's eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "You found her and… I think you need to see her more than anyone right now."

He knew the memory of the last words she had spoken to her best friend were still plaguing her, and Galinda smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you," she choked out, hugging him tightly and he gave a small smile.

"Tell her I love her," he replied and she nodded.

"I will."

Galinda hurriedly left them and headed towards Elphaba's room. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she paused momentarily in the corridor before entering the small, dimly lit room. The blinds in the room were shut to keep the early evening light out, and Galinda slowly approached the bed in the middle of the room.

Elphaba was still dreadfully pale, and she looked even paler against the white of the crisp hospital sheets. There was an IV in one arm, steadily replenishing her blood supply and her eyes were shut.

Galinda tried to walk so her shoes wouldn't make much noise, but as she reached the bed, Elphaba's eyes opened and she turned her head to see her visitor.

"Glin?"

A tear trickled down Galinda's cheek and she smiled as she cautiously sat on the bed next to her best friend.

"Oh, Elphie," she said in a quivering voice. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said this morning. I don't loathe you… I love you. You're my best friend… you're the sister I always wanted. And you really, _really_ scared us today. But you're going to be okay… we're all here. Fiyero said to tell you he loves you, he's been so worried."

Galinda was desperately trying to hold back her tears as she said all this.

Elphaba avoided her eyes when she mentioned Fiyero, it only reminded her what the doctor had told her not long ago; and there were tears shining in her eyes as she met Galinda's gaze.

"I- I didn't know," she whispered brokenly and Galinda sighed heavily, inwardly feeling glad that she and Fiyero were right.

"I know, Elphie," she said gently, taking her friend's green hand in hers and squeezing it slightly.

Galinda wiped away her own silent tears as she gripped Elphaba's hand comfortingly until her best friend fell into a groggy, drug-induced sleep.

**AN. I know it may seem weird that Galinda gets to see Elphaba rather than her sister or her boyfriend, but I felt bad for Galinda, finding her best friend like that on the bathroom floor… **

**Also, I really hope I didn't (and don't) offend anyone with this storyline. I put a lot of research into the topic and tried to deal with it both as sensitively as possible, as realistic as possible, and definitely how I imagined Elphaba would be feeling. **

**I have never been in this situation, and I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to go through, but the last thing I'd want to do would be to offend anyone or cause anyone pain. **


	19. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Again, I just want to stress that I've tried so hard to deal with this issue realistically, and not just for the sake of a dramatic storyline and I hope I don't cause anyone any pain or suffering or offence.**

**This isn't going to be like "oh, she miscarried now lets move on", this WILL be present in the rest of the story on and off, because I know this isn't something they'd get over lightly. That being said, the rest of the story will not be as heavy as the last chapter or the next few. **

**And a shout out to PocketSevens, you're exactly right with what you said about the last chapter. **

**19**

Elphaba was released from hospital the next afternoon. She was still very weak, and she was left with firm instructions to remain on bed rest for at least a week. Fiyero and Galinda picked her up and took her back to Shiz, and as soon as she reached their dorm room, Elphaba climbed into bed and fell asleep.

Fiyero watched her closely, his blue eyes anxious. Elphaba hadn't spoken a word since they'd picked her up and had barely even looked at Fiyero.

"She'll be alright," Galinda whispered to him, seeing his worried face. "She needs to deal with everything."

"Yeah," Fiyero agreed half-heartedly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I guess it's a good thing that she's on bed rest. She won't have to deal with the rumours."

Not surprisingly, the news that Elphaba Thropp was in hospital was all over campus, even if no-one besides Fiyero, Galinda, Nessa and Boq knew the truth. The main rumour was that Elphaba had attempted to kill herself- the other popular ones suggested she had been attacked in her dorm room and left for dead; had tried a spell to degreenify herself and had it backfire; or that she had an eating disorder and had finally collapsed whilst 'purging' herself. No one suspected that she had miscarried the child of Fiyero Tiggular.

Madame Morrible knew the truth, because she had contacted the hospital for information; but she had assured Fiyero the other staff members would remain oblivious. She instead simply put out the word that Elphaba was ill, but would make a full recovery. Nessarose had told the HeadShizstress that she had written to her father, but the truth was, Fiyero had managed to convince her not to.

Fiyero was hoping Frex never found out, he didn't like to think how he'd react. He also knew his parents would have to be told eventually, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them in a letter.

Fiyero was still dealing with the whole situation himself, it was hard to act normal in front of everyone in his classes when they asked about Elphaba. He wasn't quite sure how to accept what had happened, and he was having trouble shaking the image of what he'd found on the bathroom floor that day.

But it wasn't just him. Nessa refused to talk about what had happened, much due to her disapproval of the fact that her sister had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. Boq didn't quite know _what_ to say about it, but had made a point of telling Fiyero he was there if his friend wanted to talk.

And Galinda had come home from the hospital that night after seeing Elphaba and spent two hours scrubbing the bathroom floor and the rest of the room until there was no trace of what had happened.

Fiyero knew he'd have to put aside his own grief for the time being to support Elphaba as much as he could. He just wasn't sure how exactly to help.

"I'll come back later when she's awake," he told Galinda, and she nodded.

"Ok."

Fiyero took one last look at Elphaba before leaving the room, his heart heavy.

The days passed slowly. Elphaba seemed to be gradually recovering her strength, but Fiyero remained as worried about her as ever. Fiyero was a frequent visitor to the room, bringing Elphaba school work, food and just doing anything he could that she wanted. But Elphaba was quiet and withdrawn whenever he came by. She avoided looking at him and barely spoke to him.

It had been a week since Elphaba got out of hospital, and Fiyero had stopped by to bring Elphaba something to eat.

"Hey, Fae. I brought you a sandwich," he said brightly, holding it out to her.

Elphaba in bed, lying against her pillows. Her face was still unnaturally pale and drawn, and she had her Life Sciences textbook open on her lap.

"I'm not really hungry," she murmured, staring at her lap and avoiding his gaze.

Fiyero hesitated, awkwardly placing the sandwich on her nightstand.

"Ok."

He sat himself gingerly on the end of her bed and looked around the room. "So, where's Glin?"

"She went to borrow a book from Nessa," she replied quietly and Fiyero nodded.

"Right. Uh," he wavered for a moment then turned to her. "Has Nessa spoken to you?"

Elphaba lifted her eyes to his for a moment and then lowered them. "Yes."

Her sister had dropped by the day after Elphaba had been released and lectured her for twenty minutes on the 'inappropriateness of her behaviour'. Elphaba had laid there, unresponsive and staring at the ceiling until Nessa had given up and left. She hadn't been back since.

Fiyero winced, he'd hoped that Nessa hadn't decided to voice her disapproval to her sister- whatever her feelings on the subject, now was definitely not the best time.

"I'm really tired, Fiyero," Elphaba said and Fiyero sighed dejectedly.

He wasn't sure how to get Elphaba to talk to him about what had happened, and he was still wrestling with his own feelings on the subject. He had told himself he wasn't going to push Elphaba to talk to him, but she wouldn't even look at him, and he wasn't sure why.

"Sure. I'll… I'll see you later, then."

She nodded. Fiyero stood up and leaned over to kiss her. Elphaba ducked her head and Fiyero froze, before kissing the top of her head softly.

Just as he straightened up the door opened and Galinda entered the room. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Fiyero.

"Oh! Hello. Sorry, am I interrupting… something? I can come back," she said hastily, knowing Elphaba and Fiyero needed to talk about everything.

"No," Fiyero said quickly, glancing over his shoulder at Elphaba. "I'm just going. See you, Glin."

Galinda frowned as he passed her with a small smile and then looked at Elphaba, lying in bed and staring at her textbook.

"I'll be right back, Elphie," she said hastily and threw the book she'd borrowed from Nessa onto her bed before hurrying after Fiyero.

"Yero!" she called out quietly and Fiyero stopped, turning to face her with a sigh.

"Have you and Elphie talked yet?" Galinda asked anxiously.

Fiyero stalled, then sighed heavily. "No," he admitted miserably. "She won't talk to me, Galinda. She'll barely _look _at me."

Galinda looked at him sympathetically. Elphaba hadn't talked to Galinda either, and whilst the blonde felt awful for her best friend and what she was going through, she was losing her patience with her. Fiyero was grieving too, and trying to be there to comfort Elphaba, and Elphaba was steadfastly closing walls around her and shutting everyone out.

"Just keep trying," Galinda urged him. "She's just… she's really hurting, Fiyero."

Fiyero looked miserable. "I know, Glin. But… she's pushing me away. It took me _so_ long to get close to her and I… I don't know what to do anymore."

Galinda grimaced as Fiyero smiled sadly and walked away. Galinda took a deep breath and headed back into her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"Elphaba we need to talk."

Elphaba looked up at her friend in surprise. "Can it wait? I'm going to go have a bath."

"No, it can't," Galinda replied.

Elphaba eased herself out of bed and rose gingerly. She wasn't in pain anymore, but she was still weak.

"Why are you avoiding Fiyero?" Galinda demanded.

Elphaba froze for a moment. "I'm not."

Galinda scoffed. "Don't give me that, Elphie. You're avoiding him and I want to know why."

Elphaba shook her head, and headed for the bathroom. "You don't get it, Galinda."

"I know you're hurting, Elphie," Galinda said softly. "But he's hurting too. It was his baby too, Elphaba."

Elphaba whipped around, her eyes wide. "You think I don't know that?" she demanded, her voice shaky.

"You think I am not very aware of that fact, every minute of _every_ day? Because I am, _very_ aware that it is… no, it _was_ his baby too and that I am an absolutely _horrendible_ person!"

Galinda gaped at Elphaba, aghast. "What are you talking about?" she asked in horror. "Why would you say that?"

She was stunned to see tears in shining in Elphaba's eyes. "I didn't know,"

Galinda softened. "I know, Elphie. Fiyero knows that too."

"But I _should_ have known," Elphaba said in a choked, trembling voice. "It was twelve weeks, Galinda. That's three and a half _months_. Do you know what happens during the twelfth week of pregnancy?" she demanded.

Galinda shook her head numbly and watched as Elphaba strode back to her bed, reached under the pillow and pulled out a book. There was a bookmark within the pages, and Elphaba flipped it open to that page and began to read aloud.

"Your baby is now capable of making creeping and climbing movements, although for most women their baby is still too small to be aware of them. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. Very fine whiskers of hair start to appear on your baby's upper lips and eyebrows. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. For the expectant mother, the tiredness and nausea from early pregnancy should begin to subside, although you may still experience dizziness, food aversions and general fatigue."

Elphaba slammed the book shut and threw it behind her, her hands trembling as she turned back to Galinda.

"There was a heartbeat," she said hoarsely. "There was a person growing inside of me for three months. And I had no clue. I didn't notice any signs of pregnancy or that something was different. For three months. What kind of person does that make me? What kind of _mother_ would that make me?" she asked, beginning to cry.

"Elphie," Galinda whispered, completely horrified by what she was hearing and she actually felt sick, as she begun to realise what her best friend had been thinking of herself for the past week.

Elphaba shook her head. "Don't. Don't feel sorry for me," she said in a constricted voice. "I shouldn't have been surprised. I've known this all my life, why should this be any different?"

"Known what?" Galinda asked.

"That I'm cursed," Elphaba replied, looking Galinda straight in the eyes. "All I _ever_ do is cause the people around me pain. From the moment I was born, all I've ever done is make a mess of things and hurt the people I love. It's because of me that Nessa can't walk and never got to know our mother. She died… we lost her because she and my father were trying to spare the shame of having another child like me. And now…"

Elphaba took a trembling breath as she tried and failed to supress a sob. "Fiyero… I should have known. I should have been able to tell _some _sign and realise something was different. Maybe if I had, this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault," she whispered, her voice breaking and Galinda shook her head firmly.

"No, Elphie. This is not your fault," she said determinedly. "It's just this awful thing that happened. But it is not your fault, you have to know that," she begged.

Before Elphaba could argue with that, Galinda wrapped her best friend in a warm, comforting hug which proved to be Elphaba's breaking point. Bursting into tears, her knees buckled and Galinda didn't let her go as she eased her gently to kneel on the floor, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I'm cursed," Elphaba murmured between sobs, shaking as she wept and Galinda shook her head again, kissing the top of her friend's head in comfort as she tried to blink back her own tears.

"No, you're not. You hear me, Elphaba Thropp? You are _not_ cursed."

Elphaba only sobbed, and Galinda took a shaky breath, wondering how she could help her friend.

"Elphie… you need to talk to Fiyero. He'll tell you the same thing- this is _not _your fault."

"Why doesn't Fiyero hate me? _I_ hate me," Elphaba whispered brokenly and Galinda tried to keep her voice steady as she answered.

"Because he loves you. He would never, _ever_ hate you, Elphie. He loves you so much and he's been so worried about you."

That just made Elphaba cry harder, she felt so guilty, knowing how horrible she'd been towards Fiyero in the past week when all he was trying to do was help her and comfort her. But she firmly believed that losing the baby had been her fault, and she couldn't even look at Fiyero without feeling responsible for the loss of their child.

She and Galinda sat there, huddled together on the floor for a long time as Elphaba cried for the first time since being told in the hospital what had happened.

Galinda simply sat there with her until she had stopped crying and her breathing had evened out.

"Why don't I go get us some dinner?" she asked gently.

Elphaba hesitated. She still wasn't very hungry, but eventually nodded, giving into Galinda's pleading look.

"Ok," she agreed.

When Galinda had left, Elphaba stood up and shakily made her way to the bathroom to wash her face. When she returned to the room, she saw the sandwich Fiyero had brought her not that long ago lying forgotten on the nightstand and her heart clenched. Galinda was right, she had to talk to Fiyero. She had to apologise for being so awful.

Making up her mind impulsively, Elphaba turned to her closet and dressed herself, hastily pulling her hair back of her face and slipping on her shoes. Leaving a hurried note for Galinda on her bed, Elphaba slipped out of the room. It was early evening, and Elphaba hoped Fiyero would be in his room.

Luck was on her side, Fiyero was sitting at the dining table in his suite, distractedly going through the motions of completing his homework for history, when there was a knock on the door.

The last person he expected to see on the other side was Elphaba.

"Fae, what are you doing here?" he demanded anxiously, wondering why she was out of bed.

Her face was almost ashen as she answered. "I- I had to talk to you," she said hoarsely.

Fiyero quickly drew her inside. "Ok. Come on, sit down. Are you feeling okay?"

In truth, Elphaba felt a little faint and she could admit that. "I probably wasn't supposed to be up and about yet," she conceded, and Fiyero gently led her over to the sofa, shutting the door behind her.

"I'll get you some water," he said softly and headed for the kitchen and Elphaba flinched to see him being so loving and gentle with her.

As he reached into the cupboard for a glass, a sniffle caught his ear and he turned in surprise to see Elphaba sobbing quietly into her hands, her whole body trembling.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said quickly, abandoning the water and dashing over to sit next to her on the sofa, pulling her into his arms. "Fae, what's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry," she wept, burying her head in his shoulder.

"What for, green girl?" he whispered, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Everything," she murmured in return. "I- I've been so horrendible."

Fiyero sighed deeply, figuring Galinda had had words to her roommate. "Hey, it's okay," he assured her. "This… I know how hard this is."

_It was his baby too, _Galinda's words came back to Elphaba and she tightened her grip on him.

"I- I've been feeling so guilty," she confessed and Fiyero's heart leapt that she was actually talking to him.

"You shouldn't," he reprimanded her gently. "It wasn't your fault, Elphaba. The doctor said so specifically."

Elphaba shook her head and pulled away. "No, not that…. Not _just _that," she corrected herself. "I… I should have known. I should have noticed… realised that-"

Fiyero cut her off before she could finish, absolutely appalled by what she was saying. "No," he said insistently.

"Fae, don't do this."

"It was three and a half months, Yero," she said softly, her voice pained. "I didn't notice _anything_. And when… when the doctor told me, all I could think was….. what kind of mother wouldn't know-"

"Stop," he said firmly, cupping her face in his hands and hating the way her eyes were filled with tears and her lip trembled.

"You are going to be an amazing mother one day, Fae," he whispered, his thumbs wiping the tears off her cheeks. "You need to know that. Our- our kids are going to be so lucky to have you as their mother, just as I will be to have you as my wife."

Elphaba's head sank back onto his shoulder as she broke out in fresh sobs and Fiyero held her tightly.

"I love you," she choked out and Fiyero closed his eyes.

"I love you too. Oz, Fae… I was so afraid I was going to lose you," he whispered as he held her.

Elphaba didn't say anything. She didn't have to.


	20. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. They're not finished talking yet! But it was too long and heavy for one chapter, so here is Elphaba and Fiyero's talk part 2! And I actually googled the history of the T-shirt for this chapter. It was actually interesting, did you know T-shirts in their current form have been around since the 1800s? **

**20**

They sat there for a long time, neither speaking. Abruptly the silence was broken by a frantic banging on the door and Fiyero was startled.

"What in Oz?"

Elphaba grimaced, looking abashed. "Uh, that's probably Galinda. I kind of snuck out," she admitted and Fiyero couldn't help but chuckle as he reluctantly got up and went to answer the door.

"Please tell me she's here!" Galinda begged of him as soon as he opened the door.

Fiyero wordlessly pointed behind him where Elphaba sat on the sofa, and when Galinda saw her, she ran over to hug her.

"Oh, thank Oz! I was so worried! You're supposed to be on bed rest!" she scolded. "So you decide to walk halfway across campus?"

"I had to talk to him," Elphaba said simply and Galinda frowned.

"You could have waited. I would have gone and got him," she said exasperatedly but Elphaba shook her head.

"No, I couldn't wait."

Galinda sighed in relief that her best friend was alright and then nodded, grateful that clearly Elphaba and Fiyero were finally talking.

"Ok. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I had horrendible visions of you passing out in the middle of campus somewhere," she shivered and hugged Elphaba one last time.

"I'll leave you two to it, then."

Galinda stopped next to Fiyero as she passed him. "Get her to eat something," she instructed softly then flounced out the door as quickly as she'd come.

Fiyero rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind Galinda and returned to the sofa, pulling Elphaba back into his arms.

"You _should_ eat something," he conceded, wondering if he had any food in his room.

Elphaba shook her head and nestled tighter into his arms. "Later."

Fiyero couldn't argue with that, he certainly wasn't ready to let her go, so he only kissed the top of her head and breathed in her familiar scent.

Elphaba was quiet for a long time and Fiyero wondered if she'd fallen asleep. So he was faintly startled when she pulled out of his embrace and moved back, pulling her knees up in front of her chest.

"Fae? What is it?" he asked gently, and she looked at her knees as she replied.

"I- I did the math," she answered and Fiyero frowned, not understanding.

"The math?"

She nodded. "Twelve weeks…" she said softly and Fiyero's stomach clenched as he got it. She had done the pregnancy math.

He reached out and took her hand and she looked up at him.

"It was our anniversary. At Kiamo Ko," she whispered in a pained voice and Fiyero froze for a moment.

Then he tightened his grip on her hand and smiled lovingly at her. "That was a pretty great morning," he said and she chuckled weakly.

"Yeah…"

"So… nine months from then…" he trailed off and Elphaba nodded. Of course she had calculated her due date as well.

"September seventeenth," she murmured and Fiyero repeated it in his mind. There was no way he would ever forget that day now.

A thought occurred to Fiyero, and he looked at Elphaba cautiously. "The- the vision you had at Lurlinemas…"

Elphaba had forgotten all about that, and her eyes widened. "Oh!"

It suddenly made so much sense… the sharp pain that had unexpectedly rippled through her stomach…. Right before she'd collapsed in the bathroom, when she'd realised this wasn't a normal period, the pain had been quite similar. The odd feeling, like something was about to happen… and she and Fiyero had conceived the next day.

Elphaba rose to her feet and began to pace restlessly as she thought about it. She was trembling again as she looked back at Fiyero. "Why- why wouldn't it come through?" she asked shakily. "I- I could have done something… maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Fiyero stood up too, hoping to persuade her to sit down again. She wasn't fully recovered yet.

"I don't know," he admitted. He didn't want to speak aloud the thought that maybe the vision hadn't come through because Elphaba wasn't meant to prevent it. That this was meant to happen.

In the past week, Elphaba had had many feelings that her body and mind had betrayed her. For her not picking up any signs or symptoms, for not being able to keep the child inside of her alive. But now she felt as though her powers- which she had never decided if they were more a gift or a curse, had betrayed her for keeping this knowledge away, and not giving her a warning of what was to come and a chance to prevent it.

Because this hadn't affected just her.

At that thought, she turned to Fiyero, her gaze worried and soft. "Are you okay?" she whispered and Fiyero stopped in surprise.

He sighed deeply and took her hands in his, pulling her close to him.

"When Galinda led me into that bathroom and I saw you lying there on the floor… it was like I couldn't breathe," he said softly and Elphaba closed her eyes.

"We were at the hospital, and they took you away and they wouldn't tell us anything because Galinda and I weren't family. It didn't matter to them that your father is an asshole, or that Galinda was the one who was almost hysterical because she thought you were dead… they wouldn't tell us anything. And the whole time… I was trying to keep Glin calm and convince her that you were going to be alright… but all I could think was to please, please let you be okay, because I can't live without you."

Fiyero's voice broke and Elphaba stifled a sob in her throat.

"And then the doctor came out," Fiyero continued with an effort. "And he took Nessa aside… he wouldn't tell us anything until Nessa said it was okay. And then he told us that you were alive and stable… and you'd lost the baby for no reason they could find. He said he was sorry and he walked away."

Fiyero took a deep breath, remembering how he'd felt at those words. "It was like… like I'd been punched. I had no idea what he was talking about but at the same time-"

"It felt like there was a massive hole in your gut," Elphaba interrupted and he nodded.

"Yes."

Elphaba took a shuddering breath. It had been the same for her. She'd woken up groggy, in pain and not sure where she was. Then the doctor had been there and had told her he was very sorry but she'd lost the baby and was lucky to be alive, because she'd lost so much blood.

"In this past week," Fiyero said. "I don't know what I've been feeling… we didn't even know there was a baby to lose, but it feels like… like there's something missing. Everything's changed so suddenly, but nothing really changed. But then… Boq said something to me yesterday, and it really helped… something I hadn't thought of in all of this."

Elphaba frowned up at him in surprise. "Boq? What did he say?"

Fiyero took a breath and raised their joined hands to his lips, kissing her fingers lightly. "We… you and I… we lost a baby. But," he added, looking her in the eyes with a faint smile.

"That means… we also made a baby. And that's pretty amazing to me," he said softly.

Elphaba's eyes widened slightly. She had calculated the date of conception and lamented over the growth and development of their child, but had never actually thought of that. She and Fiyero had made a baby. Whether it lived or died, this baby was a piece of them combined, a symbol of the love they had for one another; and she knew they would never forget about the baby they'd never had a chance to meet.

Spluttering out a half-laugh, half-sob, Elphaba smiled for what felt like the first time in forever, and she reached up and kissed Fiyero gently. Fiyero could almost feel his world righting itself as she was in his arms and he felt a million times lighter as he tenderly deepened the kiss. He pulled her closer and she slipped her hands out of his to wind them around his shoulders. Fiyero slowly moved his hands to her back and trailed his fingers down her side, hesitating for only a moment before brushing his thumb across the side of her stomach.

Abruptly, Elphaba gasped and pulled away, startling Fiyero.

"Elph-"

Her eyes were wide and then she closed them, taking quick, shallow breaths. Fiyero didn't know what was going on, whether she was in pain or whether he had just moved too quickly. The blood drained from her face and as her hands tightened on Fiyero's shoulders, he hastily lifted her and carried her over to the sofa, lest she should faint.

"Fae? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed, taking her hands tightly in his.

When Elphaba's eyes opened, and she met his startled gaze, he was surprised to see the expression in them. There were tears shining amongst the grief, guilt and loss, but there was also a strange light.

"Fae, what happened?"

Elphaba was shaking as she looked at him and tried to get her mouth to work.

"It was a girl," she whispered and Fiyero stilled.

"What?" he asked, his mouth dry and she nodded shakily.

"It was a girl…. When you touched my stomach…. I- I saw her."

Fiyero could only stare at her in amazement. Elphaba stared at their hands, trying to keep the image she had seen in her mind.

"She… had your eyes, and nose… but her hair was dark, like mine. She- she was so beautiful," she said in a quivering voice.

Fiyero could almost picture her in his own mind, a little girl with Elphaba's hair and his eyes. Even though Elphaba hadn't said what other features she had, other than his nose, in his mind, Fiyero saw her looking just like her mother. The picture brought a smile to his face, but also made his heart ache for the child… no, the _daughter_, they had lost and would never know. It made the grief and loss just that little bit more fresh, being able to put a face to the loss.

"She would have been born August twenty-forth," Elphaba continued quietly and Fiyero was jolted out of his stunned silence.

"What? But you said-"

"I know," she cut him off. "And I can't explain how I know it… I just do."

She looked at him then, her eyes begging him to believe her and he nodded, leaning over and kissing her.

"Ok, then. August twenty-fourth," he agreed and she nodded silently.

Neither of them had to point out that it was two days before their two-year anniversary.

Eventually, Fiyero found some bread and fruit in the kitchen and made her eat something. Elphaba had no energy to even contemplate returning to her own room, and Fiyero was certainly not going to protest against her spending the night with him.

"Do you want kids?" she asked him hesitantly later that night, as she lay wrapped in his arms and sleeping in one of his t-shirts.

She didn't look at him as she asked, and Fiyero kissed her temple gently. "With you? Absolutely."

"What if they were like me?" she asked quietly.

Fiyero pretended to misunderstand. "Beautiful, smart and loving?"

She looked up at him then, her chin resting on his shoulder and her eyes filled with apprehension.

"Green."

Fiyero sighed, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "I don't care, Fae," he said sincerely and she leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Do _you _want kids?" he asked her and she was silent for a moment.

"I never thought about it until I met you," she said truthfully. "And… this… hasn't exactly given me any confidence in my abilities as a mother… but I think you'll be a great father one day, Yero."

Fiyero smiled broadly but paused. "Is that a yes?"

She hesitated. "I just… I can't go through this again," she said miserably and Fiyero sighed.

"I know…"

"I love you," she murmured, resting her head on his chest.

"I love you too, Fae. Get some sleep."

It wasn't really an answer, but Fiyero could tell what she wasn't saying. She was scared, absolutely terrified, about being a mother and falling pregnant again, and Oz forbid, losing another child. But she _did_ want to have children with him, which was all Fiyero needed to know.

Elphaba had tired herself out that day, it had been long and emotional- first with Galinda, then with Fiyero, and she wasn't technically supposed to be out of bed yet. She fell asleep quickly, comforted by having Fiyero's arms wrapped around her and was startled when she awoke abruptly.

The room was dark, but the sky was beginning to turn pink, so she knew sunrise wasn't too far away. Elphaba blinked the sleep out of her eyes, trying to find what had woken her.

A movement caught her attention and she looked down. Fiyero was awake and lying further down on the mattress so that his eyes were in line with her stomach. One hand was gently caressing the flat and empty surface, and Elphaba's heart broke as she watched him. She had meant what she'd said before, she knew that Fiyero was going to be a great father to their children, he was loving, gentle and fiercely protective, she'd seen that in their own relationship and didn't imagine it would be any different with their children.

Fiyero was lost in his thoughts, wondering what it would be like to feel Elphaba's stomach as he was now, feeling it grow and their child move. He was startled when her hand covered his and as she slid down the mattress to face him, he met her eyes guiltily.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

Elphaba only shook her head and kissed him. Fiyero wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him tightly and she entwined herself around him as tightly as she could.

"Yero…"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "We're going to be fine, Fae. We'll get through this… together. Ok?"

She nodded, bringing her hand up to his cheek. "We'll have a baby one day," she whispered and he smiled.

"Yeah. One day," he promised her and she nestled even further into his embrace, as that promise lulled them both back to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**21**

It didn't happen overnight, but gradually Elphaba and Fiyero felt they were making progress in not been haunted by what happened in March. It wasn't easy, especially when Elphaba had seen what would have been, but slowly, they were healing.

Elphaba and Fiyero were both incredibly grateful for the support of their friends. Galinda instinctively seemed to know when the subject was too sore to mention and when Elphaba wanted to talk about it. Boq did whatever he could, even if he did always feel like he was saying or doing the wrong thing; and Nessa had had a long talk with her sister and apologised when she saw how much genuine pain her sister was going through, promising to put aside her own viewpoints and support Elphaba and Fiyero.

They still weren't perfect however. Elphaba couldn't help herself but keep track of the development the baby girl she had seen would have been experiencing as the weeks went by. Fiyero didn't like it, he found it too painful and wasn't sure it was actually helping her. But when he brought up the subject, Elphaba argued it did help her to deal with it.

"I saw her, Yero," she said quietly. "And reading about this, how she… what would be happening… it helps. I can't explain how, but it helps."

When Fiyero confided in Boq about the situation, Boq suggested that Elphaba following through the pregnancy even through books, was perhaps a way of closure. This way, she was not simply pretending it had never happened. So, Fiyero gave in and didn't argue the matter, and made an effort to get involved and support Elphaba with it. This was how Dr Dillamond learned the truth, one day in May, when he walked into his classroom to prepare for class and found Fiyero comforting Elphaba.

She was having a bad day, she had gotten her period the night before, her first after losing the baby. And then she had read that twenty weeks was the halfway point of a pregnancy, by which stage the mother should be able to feel movement and the baby can recognise its mother's voice.

Elphaba had been more fragile and emotional since March, so when she'd burst into tears after reading that, there was nothing more Fiyero could do than pull her into an empty classroom and hold her as she cried.

"Miss Elphaba?" The Goat asked, startled and concerned to see his student sitting in his classroom, wiping away tears. "Is everything alright, Mister Tiggular?"

Fiyero hesitated. "Er…"

He wasn't sure what to say. He glanced at Elphaba, who gave a small nod, which told him he could tell professor the truth.

"Can we- confide in you, sir?"

Dr Dillamond was startled. He was fond of both Elphaba and Fiyero, but had no wish to play mediator or relationship counsellor with them, as he suspected was the issue. But he looked at Elphaba carefully and saw the pain in her eyes and noticed how different she had been in class lately, although her work ethic had not suffered.

"You may," he answered Fiyero and prepared himself to be regaled with the troubles of young love.

Which meant, of course, he was completely unprepared to hear Fiyero tell him that he and Elphaba had suffered a miscarriage eight weeks ago, without even knowing of the pregnancy in the first place. Fiyero kept a firm hold on Elphaba's hand the whole time as he talked, his voice shaking somewhat. This was the first time they had told anyone, and even as he told the Goat what had caused Elphaba's tears that morning, he couldn't help but reflect it felt good for someone to know the truth.

When Fiyero had finished, Dr Dillamond sighed and placed a trot on Elphaba's shoulder.

"I am so dreadfully sorry, Miss Elphaba," he said sincerely and she managed a weak smile.

"Thank you."

Elphaba wiped her eyes and sighed, leaning forward on the desk and holding her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry… I know I'm just torturing myself by doing this," she said softly and Fiyero placed a supportive hand on her back.

"You're dealing with it, Fae. It's a process," he told her and looked to the Goat for support.

Dr Dillamond nodded. "Fiyero is right, Elphaba," he said gently, forsaking the honorifics. "There is no one way to deal with loss, and if this is helping you to do so, then I see no harm."

"Sometimes it helps… sometimes it just hurts," she replied, a lump in her throat as she lifted her head. "It always hurts," she corrected herself with a grimace and shared a knowing look with Fiyero.

"Sometimes healing does hurt," the Goat agreed. "But it will heal… with time."

Elphaba hesitated and Dr Dillamond knew what she was about to say.

"Healing doesn't mean we forget," he said before she could ask. "It just shows we have strength. And you, my dear, have much of that."

Dr Dillamond's words had meant the world to Elphaba, and with them in mind, she turned her focus to the exams, the last they would sit at Shiz.

One day in early June, Elphaba was leaving the library to return to her dorm room after studying. She and Galinda were going into town to get birthday presents for Fiyero, who would turn twenty-five the next week during the exam period.

"Miss Elphaba!"

Elphaba turned and stifled a groan as she saw Madame Morrible approaching her. "Good afternoon, Madame," she said politely.

"I was just coming to see you. Would you mind stepping into my office for a moment?" she asked and Elphaba hesitated, knowing Galinda was waiting for her.

"Very well," she conceded and half-heartedly followed the HeadShiztress into her office.

"Miss Elphaba, a few weeks ago, I received a letter from the Emiliani Orphanage in the Emerald City."

Elphaba was bewildered. Why would Morrible want to talk to her after getting a letter from an orphanage?

"Oh," she said finally, because Morrible seemed to be waiting for a response.

"They wrote to me because they are looking for a teacher for the orphans and wanted to know if I had any recommendations, being that I am so renowned an educator."

Elphaba somehow managed to keep her amusement at that statement from showing on her face.

"I see," she said, although she didn't.

Madame Morrible leaned forward slightly. "Miss Elphaba, I suggested you and they've offered you the post."

Now Elphaba was really surprised. "Me?"

Madame Morrible spread her hands. "Why not? You are our best student we've had here at Shiz in many years, Miss Elphaba. And you've proven yourself to be a fine teacher through your tutoring sessions with Mr Tiggular. I told them all about you, and they were most impressed."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. "I- I appreciate the offer Madame, but I-"

"Oh, I am sorry. I should have asked if you had plans lined up now that you're graduating. I should have assumed that you and Prince Fiyero would have arrangements for your future…"

Elphaba saw Morrible's gaze flicker to her left hand and she unconsciously flexed her fingers.

"No!" she said hastily. "We- we haven't…. no."

Madame Morrible nodded. "I see. Well, why don't you take some time to think it over? You can let me know by the end of the week," she suggested.

Elphaba would have refused right then and there, she knew there was no way she could leave Nessa or Munchkinland. But Morrible insisted and Elphaba found herself leaving the office and promising to give her answer by the end of the week, clutching the letter from the orphanage director in her hand.

Dazedly, she headed to her dorm room, where Galinda was waiting impatiently.

"There you are! You're late!"

"Sorry, Glin. Morrible caught me, she wanted to see me," Elphaba explained.

Galinda's eyebrows rose. "Horrible Morrible? What did _she _want?"

"It doesn't matter," Elphaba rolled her eyes and tossed the letter carelessly in the trash can.

Galinda watched with narrowed eyes. "Elphie? What is that?"

"Nothing, it's just garbage. Are we going shopping or not?"

Galinda snatched the envelope out of the trash can and opened it.

"Galinda, leave it," Elphaba beseeched her, but Galinda ignored her.

She read the beginning of the letter and squealed. "Elphie! You've been offered a teaching position? In the _Emerald City?_ That's so thrillifying!"

"I'm not taking it Galinda," Elphaba cut her off before she got too excited.

Galinda's face fell. "What? Why not?"

"Finish reading the letter," Elphaba encouraged her.

With a frown, the blonde did so. "Ok… I still don't understand the problem."

Elphaba sighed. "For one thing, my father would never let me accept it. I have responsibilities at home, and to Nessa. Secondly, there's Fiyero."

"Fiyero? You think he wouldn't let you take it?"

"No, I'm sure he would," Elphaba admitted. "Did you miss the part where they say it's a two year contract?"

Galinda's eyes quickly skimmed the letter again and then she grimaced. "Oh."

Elphaba smiled. "Yeah. Oh. Two years is a long time, Galinda."

"It is," the blonde admitted.

"I think you should do it, Elphie," Galinda announced and Elphaba was startled.

"What? Did you not hear the reasons I just said I couldn't?"

"I heard," Galinda replied calmly. "Nessa, your father, and Fiyero. Well, first of all- your father can shove it."

Elphaba grinned at that, it was such an unladylike thing for Galinda to say.

"Secondly, Nessa is twenty years old. Which means you've looked after her for twenty years, pretty much. I know she's your sister and you love her, and you have these stupid guilt issues for something that you had nothing to do with… Your father can find someone else to care for Nessa and run the household."

"I couldn't just abandon her," Elphaba protested.

"Look, Nessa isn't stupid. I think there may have been a time when she thought you would look after her until the day you die. But she knows you and Fiyero are eventually planning on marrying. And considering he's the prince of the Vinkus, it would be pretty impractical for the two of you to live in Munchkinland. You're not abandoning her… you're having your own life, which you are perfectly entitled to."

Elphaba sighed. "What about Fiyero?"

"What about him? Have I missed something? Are you two suddenly planning on getting married right after graduation?"

"No," Elphaba rolled her eyes, recalling how Morrible had asked her the same question.

"Fiyero promised you time, didn't he?"

"Yes," Elphaba admitted.

"So, spending that time in the _Emerald City, _doing something wonderful and teaching poor little orphaned children- something you will be brilliant at; isn't that better than spending it in Munchkinland doing what you've done your whole life?"

Elphaba hesitated, then met Galinda's gaze solemnly. "Glin, if I gave him any sign I was ready for that, Fiyero would propose now. He'd probably suggest we elope before I have time to change my mind," she laughed.

"And yes, I'm not ready to get married just yet and jump into being a princess… but what would happen to us? He'd still be in the Vinkus."

"Yes, but you'd be in the City, which is a lot closer to the Vinkus than Munchkinland," Galinda pointed out. "I'm still failing to see the problem, Elphie."

Elphaba let out a deep sigh, sitting on her bed dejectedly. "Since… the baby," she said with difficulty and Galinda waited patiently, her face soft.

"We've just…. we're more…"

"You're a lot more intensified," Galinda nodded, finishing the sentence. "I've noticed that too. It didn't feel right to ask why."

Elphaba smiled slightly. "We've really been leaning on each other. It's hard… we know that in another time… if things had been different… I'd be six months pregnant now. And we're just a lot more… aware of things."

Galinda tilted her head. "I'm confusified. What does that mean?"

Elphaba played with her fingers. "Before… sex was… it meant something because we love each other," she tried to explain, blushing slightly.

"But now… knowing that we made a baby… it's a really amazing thought. It means something now because we made life. Even though we lost her…. she had a heartbeat. She was forming into a person. It just makes you think and go about things differently."

Galinda gave her best friend a small smile. "That's really beautiful, Elphie. I never really thought about it, I guess."

Elphaba shook her head. "Yeah… but I don't know what's going to happen now. It was hard last summer, going home and not seeing him for two months. I can't imagine going back to my father after everything's that happened this year and not knowing when I'll see Fiyero next."

"That's why I think you should take this," Galinda said gently, waving the letter at her. "It'll give you something productive to do for a while. A new challenge, a chance to do some good. And I'll bet Fiyero would say the same thing."

To appease her roommate much the same way she had Madame Morrible, Elphaba promised to think about it. But Galinda knew her better, and pulled Fiyero aside at dinner when Elphaba went to the bathroom. Fiyero reacted just as Galinda had expected and promised the blonde he'd talk to his girlfriend about the idea.

She was spending the night in his room that night and Fiyero waited until she was climbing into bed before producing the letter Galinda had given him.

"Hey, Fae?"

When Elphaba saw the letter her eyes widened. "Where did you get- Galinda," she cut herself off with a knowing and exasperated sigh.

Fiyero grinned. "Yep."

Elphaba grimaced. "Let me guess- you think I should take it too?"

"Yep."

She rolled her eyes. "Yero!"

He laughed. "What? I think you should! You're a great teacher, Fae."

Elphaba sighed and slumped against the pillows. "It's an orphanage… I'm not good with children."

"I think you're better than you think you are," he said quietly.

She frowned at him. "Why do you think I should do it?"

Fiyero sighed. "Because you're a great teacher. And I hate the thought of you being stuck in Munchkinland," he said unhappily.

Well that worked out, because Elphaba hated the thought of being stuck in Munchkinland.

"It's a two year contract, Fiyero," she told him.

He nodded. "I know. I read the letter."

"Two years," she stressed.

He took her hand. "Two years isn't that long, Fae. We've been together for two years in August and look how fast it's gone!"

Elphaba was quiet for a long moment, thinking very seriously. Fiyero simply sat there, letting her organise her thoughts.

"Come with me," she said quietly and Fiyero blinked at her.

"Where?"

"To the Emerald City," Elphaba lifted her eyes to him apprehensively. "Would you come with me? I mean, would your parents-"

Fiyero laughed. "Fae, I'm going to be twenty-five next week! I don't have to ask their permission!"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Yes you do. You're a prince, and don't forget- I've been there every time your father's talked to you in the past two years about your responsibilities and duties after graduation."

She had too, and Fiyero groaned. "Fae, I try very hard to repress those talks. Please don't remind me," he grumbled and Elphaba smiled slightly.

"And yes," he added as an afterthought and she frowned at him.

"Yes what?"

He rolled his eyes. "How quickly we forget," he teased her. "Yes, I'll come with you to the Emerald City," he agreed and her whole face lit up.

"You mean that?"

Fiyero's heart melted to see her so genuinely happy at that idea and he nodded, smiling gently as he kissed her.

"Yes. I'll talk to my parents, and I'll work it out," he promised her. "But you have to tell Morrible in the morning that you'll take the job."

"What about Nessa?"

"School won't start until the fall," he pointed out reasonably. "You'll have the summer to find someone you can trust to take care of her."

"But my father," she began and he cut her off.

"We'll deal with him too," he agreed. "But if you've already accepted the job, there's not much he can do about it, is there?"

Elphaba laughed. "Please don't try that tactic with your parents. They like _me_," she teased and Fiyero grimaced, that had been exactly his plan.

"They _love_ you," he corrected her gently. "Which I plan on using in my favour."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but smiled brilliantly at him. "So, we're going to the Emerald City?"

Fiyero nodded confidently. "Yes, my darling green girl. We're going to the Emerald City."

Elphaba laughed as she kissed him.


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. About this chapter…. well… I have a soft spot for Corin. **

**And OMO, this is now my highest reviewed story ever! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and shared your thoughts. I love reading which moments and lines you guys particularly liked, and every review is so greatly appreciated. Thank you! **

**BTW, I saw Mary Poppins on Saturday... it was good. (the movie's better) But it very enjoyable... even if it wasn't wicked :( It closes in Australia soon (Sept 11) and then it goes to Asia for December and 2012, and then New Zealand in 2013. So, I'm going to be really sad that day because i probably won't get to see it again for a really long time. I think September 11 is an update day... **

**22**

Once the exams were over, the reality of graduation kicked in for every graduating student. There were many students worrying over what the future would bring once they had their degrees and were flung out into the world to stand on their own two feet. Elphaba was nervous for a different reason… well, two different reasons.

She had been shocked when Madame Morrible had again called her into her office, this time to tell her she was graduating at the top of the year, and was thus expected to make a speech at the graduation ceremony.

But even that was nothing compared to the decision she and Fiyero had come too, and she was apprehensive about what would happen.

"So, Fiyero's telling Micah and Corin about the baby when they get here?" Galinda asked Elphaba.

Elphaba nodded nervously. "And his parents."

Boq whistled. "Wow. And your father?"

"Is never to know anything," Elphaba said firmly, glancing at Nessa.

"Fabala, I promised I wouldn't say anything, remember?" her sister asked her and Elphaba sighed.

"Right. I'm sorry…"

The four were sitting under a tree by the canal, enjoying the sunshine. Fiyero had gone to meet Corin and Micah, who were coming for their friend's graduation. When he met them, he was planning on telling them about the baby before bringing them to meet the others. Ibrahim and Kasmira were arriving the next day, and Elphaba and Fiyero had made plans to have dinner with the king and queen in Fiyero's suite.

There, Fiyero would raise the subject of both the miscarriage and the Emerald City, but only once Elphaba left. She'd wanted to stay and tell them with him, but Fiyero had gently insisted he do it on his own and she had reluctantly agreed.

Elphaba had told Nessa about the job she had accepted, and whilst her sister was apprehensive about someone other than her sister caring for her, she had agreed with Galinda that it was something her sister should do. Elphaba suspected her sister was trying to make up for the bad reaction she'd had to the miscarriage, but was grateful nonetheless, hoping she could rely on her support when it came time to telling Frex about her plans.

Micah and Corin had decided to come to Shiz a day earlier, partly to see the "only school in Oz that could teach Fiyero Tiggular anything" as Corin had put it, and partly because Micah was dying to see Galinda. They had proven themselves pros at conducting a successful long-distance relationship, but were thrillified to see each other for the first time since Lurlinemas.

Galinda was just as nervous about Micah learning about the miscarriage as Elphaba was. She had hated keeping something so big from her boyfriend, when it affected his best friend so closely, but Fiyero had asked that she not say anything, and so she'd respected that.

Fiyero smiled broadly as his oldest friends in the world leapt out of the carriage that rolled to a stop outside the front gates of Shiz.

"I can't believe you're actually going to graduate," Corin greeted him. "Took you long enough."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Corin."

Micah looked faintly disappointed. "Galinda didn't come to meet us?"

Corin and Fiyero exchanged amused looks.

"They're down by the canal with a picnic," Fiyero explained. "I wanted to talk to you guys first."

His friends were surprised, and Corin frowned.

"I'm guessing this has something to do with Elphaba. Did she finally realise she can do better, or do we hear wedding bells?"

"Neither," Fiyero replied quietly and Micah was concerned.

"Fiyero, what is it?"

Fiyero sighed and glanced around. "I don't want to be overheard."

Micah's concern grew and he gestured towards the carriage he and Corin had just exited. "The carriage?"

Fiyero nodded in agreement and the three young men climbed inside. Fiyero sat opposite his friends and took a deep breath, wondering just how to break the news to them.

"First of all, Micah- please don't be mad at Galinda for not saying anything, I asked her not to," he began and Micah was startled.

"Ok," he agreed and Fiyero sighed.

"Back in March, Elphaba was in the hospital. Galinda found her haemorrhaging on the bathroom floor," he said, wincing at the painful memory.

"Oh my Oz," Corin gaped. "What happened? How bad was it?"

"She was _haemorrhaging_, Corin. That's never a good thing," Micah said but he too looked stunned.

"She almost died," Fiyero admitted shakily. "She- she was pregnant."

Corin actually paled and Micah's jaw dropped.

"Yero…"

"Twelve weeks… which is about three and a half months," Fiyero continued quietly, figuring it was better and easier to say it all at once, even if he was looking at his hands instead of his friend's faces.

"She didn't know until she woke up in the hospital after surgery and the doctor told her she'd miscarried. The doctors just… they assumed we knew. And afterwards, Fae had a vision. She _saw_ the baby. It was going to be a girl."

He looked up at them, smiling faintly. "We were going to have a little girl in August. Elphaba said she'd have her hair and my eyes and nose. She didn't say anything else, but when I picture her in my head, she looks _just_ like Fae."

"Oz, Fiyero," Micah said, his face stricken. "We noticed you kind of… stopped writing home around that time, but your parents just assumed Elphaba was making you focus on the exams."

Fiyero noticed that he had said "Elphaba was making him focus" not that _he _was focusing on the exams, but let that slide.

"I couldn't write," he said in a pained voice. "It was too hard. I didn't want to tell you in a letter, and I was trying to deal with it… and help Elphaba deal with it."

"I'm really sorry, Yero," Corin murmured. "That's… it's awful. How are you doing? You and Elphaba?"

Fiyero sighed, that was a question he was never sure of. "We're getting through it. Some days are better than others. In the beginning, Elphaba kind of… closed off, but it's been better since. She's very… conscious of what she's missing. She follows the pregnancy… reading up on the weekly development of the baby and things like that. I don't really like it, but it's her way of dealing with it. In a way, it's made us stronger- as a couple, I mean."

"Are you going to tell your parents?"

Fiyero nodded grimly. "Yep. Fae and I are having dinner with them tomorrow night and I'll tell them after that. Fae wanted to stay and tell them with me, but I'm not quite sure how they'll react."

"What do you mean?" Corin asked.

"Remember when we first started… goofing off?" Fiyero asked them, for lack of a better word. "With the parties and the pranks-"

"The not studying, the girls, et cetera, et cetera," Corin interrupted and Fiyero grinned.

"Yes. When my parents found out, my dad didn't act as a concerned parent worried about his son's well-being. He acted like a king whose son and heir to the throne was not meeting his responsibilities and displaying inappropriate behaviour for a royal," Fiyero explained.

Micah caught on. "So you're afraid of the same thing happening again?"

"Putting the dad-act aside and focusing on the king-act is his default reaction when he's really shaken," Fiyero nodded. "As much as he and my mom love Elphaba, I don't want her there if he's going to lecture me… or us, for even the possibility of having a baby before we're married."

"That's a good idea," Micah agreed.

As always, Fiyero's first reaction was to protect Elphaba as much as he could or that she would allow him.

Fiyero's tone turned matter-of-fact as he got down to business. "Alright, so here it is. Not a word to my parents until I tell them. Elphaba's father, if you should meet him, is _never _to know. Got it?"

Micah and Corin nodded obediently.

"Good. So… lunch? Elphaba cooked, so it's pretty amazing," Fiyero grinned, stepping out of the carriage.

"Well, isn't this picturesque? A picnic lunch by the canal at dear old Shiz," Corin added as he followed, but Fiyero thought his friend seemed shaken by the revelation his best friend had just made.

They walked down to the canal in silence, and when she saw them approaching, Galinda let out a loud squeal and ran to greet Micah enthusiastically. Elphaba rose to greet them, smiling warmly even as she rolled her eyes at Galinda.

Everyone was stunned as Corin walked directly to Elphaba and seized her in a tight hug, before pulling away and looking her in the eyes.

"Elphaba… I am so sorry," he said in the most solemn tone of voice Fiyero had ever heard his friend use.

Elphaba was surprised and confused by his reaction, but also very touched.

"Thank you," she replied, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

When he moved away to greet Nessa and Boq, Elphaba and Fiyero's eyes met for a moment. Fiyero shrugged discreetly and Elphaba nodded faintly in reply, as Micah stepped forward to greet her too.

"How are you?" he asked her and she smiled faintly, knowing what he was asking.

"Today's a good day," she replied and he squeezed her hand and pecked her cheek.

They all grouped together under the tree and enjoyed the lunch Elphaba had prepared. When they'd finished eating and were sitting around making conversation, Elphaba suddenly nudged Fiyero in the ribs.

"Ow."

He turned to her questioningly, and she pointed her head over to the side. Looking in that direction, Fiyero saw Corin had wandered down to the canal's edge and was looking over the water pensively.

"I'm on it," he replied and stood up.

He walked over to his friend and stood next to him in silence for a moment.

"What's up, Corin?"

Corin sighed and shook his head. "When you said you had to talk to us, I was not expecting that."

Fiyero chuckled sadly. "There's no easy way to say something like that. I have no idea how I'm supposed to tell my parents."

Silence fell again, before Corin turned to him.

"I know I've always made a lot of jokes about you and Elphaba. You know, how you're all grown up and becoming a romantic sap that we used to make fun of as seventeen year olds…"

"Yes I appreciate all of them, and am regularly amused and in awe of your dazzling wit," Fiyero deadpanned and Corin grinned faintly.

"As you damn well should be, I'm a comic genius. But… you and Elphaba are really amazing together," he said sincerely.

"You've been so happy and grounded since you met her, and it seemed like everything was falling into place for you. It just…. it threw me to think what you went through," he admitted and Fiyero didn't know what to say.

"The miscarriage almost killed her," he said finally. "And I don't just mean literally. Fae is the strongest person I have ever met, but it almost destroyed her. She felt so guilty that she hadn't realised she was pregnant… and she always feels like she doesn't deserve happiness or love or acceptance. To her, losing the baby was just another part of that. And it's been incredibly hard for us to move on and not think of what might have been. She should be almost seven months pregnant now, Corin. She saw our daughter…"

Fiyero's voice trailed off and Corin felt a pang of sympathy for his friend.

"Do you think you'll have kids one day?" he asked.

"Yes," Fiyero replied determinedly. "Fae and I have talked about that. She's… she's worried about what kind of mother she'll be, but she also refuses to let her fears control her life. Like I said, she's the strongest person I have ever met."

Corin chuckled in amusement. "Only Elphaba would be more worried about being a mother than being a princess and future queen."

Fiyero grinned.

"Did you talk to Corin?" Elphaba asked him later that day when they had a moment alone.

The group were going to dinner at the Wilted Rose, and Fiyero was in Elphaba's room as she got ready. Galinda was already out the door to spend some quality time with Micah beforehand.

Fiyero nodded, slipping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I think for all intents and purposes, Corin had this image of us as a perfect couple who never have any drama. So, the news kind of hit him hard… especially when he couldn't make a joke about it."

"He was very sweet," Elphaba said softly.

Fiyero smiled. "Yeah. He loves kids. His sister has a little girl who was born just before the summer I came and stayed with you. She adores him… probably because he's such a big kid himself."

Elphaba laughed. "I can only imagine."

"He spoils her rotten. Last time I saw his mom, she was raving about this mural he painted for the nursery."

Elphaba smiled, she had seen some of Corin's artwork during her stay over Lurlinemas the year before and she had been impressed by his talent.

She gently eased out of Fiyero's arms and picked up her hairbrush from the nightstand.

"I still think he should be doing something with his artwork," she said, brushing her hair.

Fiyero watched with a soft smile. "I could say the same to a certain green girl about her musical talent," he replied and she narrowed her eyes.

"Don't."

Fiyero laughed. Fiyero could count on one hand the number of times he'd been able to hear Elphaba sing since the long ago dinner party in Munchkinland. Most of them were whilst she was alone in the kitchen cooking, but it never failed to send chills down his spine.

His laughter faded into a groan as she tightly braided her hair. "Are you doing that in revenge?" he demanded.

Elphaba grinned wickedly. Fiyero loved it when she wore her hair down and he was able to run his fingers through the long ebony tresses and they both knew it.

"Yep. Come on, let's go."

Fiyero sighed and obediently followed her from the room. Just before they reached the door, Fiyero quickly snapped out a hand and pulled off the tie securing the braid, unravelling it. Tossing it on the floor, he ignored Elphaba's cry of protest and grinned smugly at her, closing the door behind him.

Elphaba only rolled her eyes in exasperation.


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. Hope you like this chapter. **

**And there's a reference in here… I should explain. If anyone who read "Far Longer than forever" and saw the reviews (many, many reviews) written by a certain Julia-Caesar (Hi, Jules xx) you'll know that she really, really, really likes Vinkun wildflowers. And if anyone has read Julia-Caesar's "Time and Time Again" (you should, It's good), and read the review I submitted, you'll get it. Read the story anyway, review and encourage her to write more chapters, and then read the review I submitted (it's the very first one). ****BTW, Jules- how's that going?**

**And I really love the last bit of this chapter, just saying.**

**Also, today I am going for my interview with the Department of Education to be accredited to teach in NSW public schools! I'm really, really nervous so reviews would be much appreciated... but don't feel pressured.**

**23**

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Fiyero sighed, looking at Elphaba's worried face. They had just finished dinner in Fiyero's suite with Ibrahim and Kasmira, and Fiyero had walked Elphaba out into the hall to say goodnight. They both knew when he went back into the room, he would be telling his parents about the miscarriage and raising the subject of the Emerald City. Elphaba was hesitant about letting Fiyero do it alone.

She knew how hard it had been for him to tell Micah and Corin, and could only imagine how hard it would be to tell his parents. Given that she had no intention of telling her own father, Elphaba felt the least she could do was support Fiyero now.

"It was my idea about the Emerald City," she argued now and he shook his head.

"I'm the one who told you to take the job."

"Exactly, it's my job. I should at least help you tell them about that!"

Fiyero wrapped his arms around her. "Fae, me telling my parents… it's big. This is something I have to do… part of the whole healing process. I'd rather do it alone."

He wondered for a moment if she would be offended by that, but Elphaba knew better than anyone about dealing with things independently. She searched his face for a long moment, then nodded.

"Alright," she agreed. "But later, you're going to tell me the real reason you don't want me there."

Fiyero was startled. "How do you _do_ that?" he gaped, taken aback by her uncanny ability to see through him immediately.

Elphaba chuckled. "I know you," she said simply.

Fiyero shook his head in amazement and Elphaba kissed him softly, pressing her body up against him. Fiyero held her there as he deepened the kiss, knowing she was silently wishing him luck.

"I love you, Elphaba," he whispered as she eventually pulled away and she smiled.

"I love you."

Fiyero watched as she gracefully slipped down the stairs with a final glance at him over her shoulder. Then he took a deep breath and headed back into his suite, trying to act like he hadn't just spent five minutes out in the hall saying goodnight to his girlfriend.

His parents were sitting at the dining table, a pot of coffee on the table.

"So, any big news from home?" he asked casually, slipping into a chair opposite his parents.

Ibrahim paused to take a sip of his coffee before answering. "The grasslands were almost destroyed a few weeks ago."

Fiyero was startled. "What? What happened?"

Kasmira looked sad as she replied. "We're not quite sure. Fortunately, they were able to get the fire under control before any real damage was done. And no one was hurt, thank Oz. But it's a dreadful thing to have happened… we've had such a dry summer so far."

Fiyero was sad too. The grasslands were one of his favourite places in the Vinkus, every spring and summer they bloomed with the most beautiful wildflowers; to imagine them destroyed was an awful image.

"But the wildflowers will grow back?" he asked and Ibrahim nodded reassuringly.

"Yes, definitely."

Fiyero was relieved. "Good. I really want to show Fae… she's only been to the Vinkus during winter."

Ibrahim and Kasmira exchanged a look.

"Actually, Yero. Your mother and I wanted to talk to you."

Fiyero was surprised. "Ok. Well, that's good- I wanted to talk to you too."

"I think it's best we go first," Ibrahim suggested and Fiyero nodded in agreement.

"Alright, Dad. What's up?"

Ibrahim glanced at his wife before addressing his son. "Fiyero, you and Elphaba have been together for a long time now."

"Two years in August," Fiyero confirmed with a proud and happy smile.

"And you know we both love Elphaba," Kasmira continued. "We already think of her as a daughter."

Fiyero wasn't sure where his parents were going with this, but played along. "Mom, you and Dad have loved Fae since before we were dating… I didn't know the daughter thing, but I'm glad. She thinks the world of both of you, I hope you know."

Kasmira smiled warmly. "The thing is, Yero, you're both about to graduate. Your father and I wanted to talk to you about yours and Elphaba's plans for the future."

Fiyero stalled. "Oh. Well, that's actually kind of what I wanted to talk to you guys about," he admitted.

Ibrahim looked pleased at that. "Good. Well, carry on, son. The floor is yours."

Fiyero took a deep breath, then chickened out and decided to start with the easier topic.

"Fae's been offered a job teaching at the Emiliani Orphanage in the Emerald City," he announced, feeling a burst of pride at that.

"I've told her to accept it."

Kasmira was shocked. "That's a wonderful achievement and honour for Elphaba, Fiyero," she began uncertainly.

"We were thinking more along the lines of marriage," Ibrahim added and Fiyero nodded.

"I figured as much. Mom, Dad… Elphaba's not ready to get married just yet. She's only twenty-three and she hasn't had her whole life to prepare for the idea like I have."

"She's had two years," Ibrahim replied and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"Dad, that's not my point. Elphaba and I have talked about this, and we _are_ going to get married one day. But not yet. The contract with the orphanage is only for two years, and then we'll see where we are after that."

"Two years?" Kasmira said thoughtfully.

Fiyero nodded. "Yes. Until she came to Shiz, Elphaba had been stuck in Munchkinland her whole life. And we've seen for ourselves what it's like for her out there. When the job offer came along, I convinced her to take it. This is something she will be _so _good at, and she'll love the Emerald City. You know Elphaba is a very private person, and when we get married she'll be making a lot of sacrifices and changes for this lifestyle.

She's doesn't feel ready to get married right now and I'm not going to push her. This is her chance to do something for herself. Can you understand that?"

Kasmira nodded immediately. Like Elphaba would be, she had married into the lifestyle and expectations of a princess, and given that Elphaba came from Munchkinland, it would be an even bigger change for her.

"I think Elphaba will be a wonderful teacher," she said softly and Fiyero beamed. "When does she have to be in the City? Does her father know?"

Fiyero grimaced. "No, not yet. Fae's telling him when he arrives tomorrow. School doesn't start until the second week in September this year… they've organised some trip for the children and won't be back until then. And that's another thing I wanted to bring up… I want to go with her."

Ibrahim rose an eyebrow. "You want to what?"

"I want to go with Elphaba to the Emerald City," Fiyero repeated.

Ibrahim sighed. "Yero, I know it'll be hard for you and Elphaba to be apart… but I've been telling you for years. Once you've graduated, it's time that you start accepting more responsibilities, and start learning about how to govern the Vinkus."

Fiyero turned pleading eyes on his father. "Dad, please? I know all this, but… a lot's happened this year. And it's really important to Elphaba and I that we stay together. You have no idea how hard it is going to be for us this summer to be apart."

"Then why don't you enlighten us, son?"

Fiyero hesitated, knowing this was it. This was the moment.

"Did either of you notice anything different about Elphaba tonight?" he asked them.

Ibrahim and Kasmira exchanged a glance. They had in fact been discussing that as Fiyero and Elphaba were saying goodnight; and not just the change in Elphaba, but in Fiyero and the two of them as a couple.

"Yes. In both of you, in fact. We wondered if everything was alright," Kasmira said cautiously.

Fiyero chuckled sadly, he never knew if everything was alright. What was 'alright' in the first place?

"Elphaba and I lost a baby," he said quietly and watched the blood drain from his mother's shocked face.

"What?"

"She miscarried… back in March. She was twelve weeks gone."

Kasmira had tears in her eyes as she looked at her son. "Yero… why didn't you tell us?"

Fiyero ran his fingers through his hair. "It was hard, Mom. I couldn't bring myself to write it down… I didn't want you to have to learn something like this through a letter," he apologised.

"And Elphaba and I were just trying to deal with it, to get through one day to the next… in the beginning."

"She must have been devastated," Kasmira murmured sadly.

"She didn't know," Fiyero replied. "She didn't know anything until the doctor told her what had happened."

Kasmira winced. "Fiyero, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. For you and Elphaba to go through that alone…"

"We weren't alone," Fiyero interrupted gently. "Galinda has been amazing, Boq and Nessa have too. And we had each other. It's been hard… it still is hard, but we're working through it. But can you see now, why I want to go with her to the City?" he asked beseechingly.

"Fae's really shaken with the idea of children since then. But she knows there has to be an heir, and she… _we _still want children one day. We want a family. And that's one reason I pushed for her to take this job. If she can be with the children and realise what a great mother I _know_ she's going to be… I think she'll be a lot more comfortable with the idea. But I don't want to be away from her and have her deal with it all by herself."

Fiyero was sure his mother was on his side, but when he looked to his father, he realised the king hadn't said a word since Fiyero had mentioned the baby.

"Dad?"

Ibrahim met his son's gaze, his face unreadable.

"You got Elphaba pregnant?"

Fiyero exhaled slowly, glad he had insisted on Elphaba not being there for this.

"Yes."

Ibrahim sighed. "Fiyero, I really thought you were becoming more responsible. To get pregnant before you're married-"

"Yes, we've had this talk from Nessarose already," Fiyero interrupted, slightly hurt. "Dad, this isn't like when I was twenty and being an idiot. No, Elphaba and I aren't married yet, but… I am going to spend the rest of my life with her. I love her, Dad. You know that."

The king frowned. "That doesn't excuse your actions, Fiyero. Yes, Elphaba isn't one of the meaningless girls you had flings with in the past, which does make the situation better. But the fact you love her wouldn't make this any less of a scandal for the monarchy if news was to get out."

"Well, the scandal isn't an issue since there's no baby anymore," Fiyero snapped.

Ibrahim tried to reason with him. "But can you see why the idea of you living together in the Emerald City might be a concern?"

"I don't care!" Fiyero burst out. "The only people in this relationship are me and Elphaba. I don't care whether all of the Vinkus approves or not."

"You should," Ibrahim said darkly. "I told you when you were sixteen and I'll tell you again now- your behaviour will affect the way the people see you and how they will treat you as king."

"Dad, Elphaba almost died," Fiyero said quietly and Ibrahim and Kasmira both blanched at his words.

"She almost bled to death. We have been to hell and back again in the last three months… she's the most important person in my life, Dad and she's still hurting. We both are. So, if she wants to wait two, five, ten years to get married, I'll wait. I will do anything I can. She's asked me to go to the Emerald City with her. It was the only way she'd agree to take the teaching position, and I'm asking you to let me go with her. Please?"

Ibrahim looked over at his wife, who stared back at him with tears in her eyes.

"Your mother and I will discuss it," he said to Fiyero, who looked hopeful at that.

"Thank you."

His parents didn't stay long after that, Fiyero hoped they were going to talk about it, but also suspected they needed to absorb everything he had told them.

Once alone, Fiyero began to clean the kitchen. It was late, and ordinarily he would have left it until the next morning, but it had been harder than he'd thought to tell his parents. He hadn't planned on telling them how close Elphaba had come to death, but now he couldn't get the image of her on the bathroom floor out of his mind. It was an image that still haunted him at times, and Fiyero didn't know if he'd ever be able to forget it.

He hoped he'd gotten his point across to his parents, he couldn't quite remember what he'd said now. But he knew when his father promised to talk it over with his mother, he would.

When the kitchen was thoroughly clean, so that even Elphaba would give it her approval, Fiyero sighed and thought about going to bed. But the idea of his bed without Elphaba sleeping beside him, where he could reassure himself she was alive and perfectly fine and not bleeding to death, was not an appealing idea.

Fiyero didn't even hesitate when the idea came to him, just grabbed his room key and left, shutting the door behind him.

Elphaba had long since given Fiyero a spare key to hers and Galinda's dorm room, in case of emergencies and Fiyero kept it alongside his own key. It was almost midnight, and whilst Fiyero was sure Galinda would be asleep, he wasn't sure about Elphaba. But when he stole upstairs and slipped soundlessly into the dark room, he could hear Elphaba's even, familiar breathing.

Elphaba startled awake from a deep sleep when Fiyero's arms wrapped around her waist, feeling an instinctual wave of panic at finding someone grabbing her in the middle of the night.

"Shhh, it's me," he whispered quickly and she relaxed immediately as she recognised his voice, sinking into his arms as he gently eased himself under the covers beside her.

"You ok?" she murmured sleepily, her eyes still closed and he kissed her cheek softly.

"Yeah, just needed to see you," he murmured back and her eyes flickered open as she rolled over in his embrace to see him.

"I'm ok," she whispered, cupping his cheek. She knew he and Galinda both still dreamed about it sometimes.

Fiyero smiled in the darkness and kissed her palm. "I know… My parents are going to think about it."

She knew what he meant and nodded faintly. "Ok. Why didn't you want me there? What were you trying to protect me from?"

Fiyero paused and pulled her closer. "Sometimes my dad thinks like a king before he thinks like a dad. I'm used to it, but I didn't think you needed another lecture like from Nessa."

Elphaba let out a soft sigh and planted a soft kiss on his shoulder before snuggling drowsily into his neck.

"You really are Yero my hero."

Fiyero chuckled quietly and stroked her back to lull her back to sleep. "I love you too, green girl."

"Stay?" she breathed and he nodded.

"Not going anywhere."

Elphaba had a faintly coherent thought of what Galinda would say when she awoke in the morning, but it was lost as she succumbed to sleep.

**AN. Yes, the Vinkun wildflowers are safe. All those who read "Far longer than forever" can rejoice. And Julia-Caesar, get working on TaTa! **


	24. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. This was so much fun to write, just for all the musical references I could fit in! See how many you can pick!**

**24**

Fiyero was jolted awake by the sounds of long fingernails tapping against china. Frowning groggily, he rolled over and saw Galinda, dressed and wide awake, sitting on her made bed and drumming her fingernails against the coffee cup she held in her hands, as she smirked back at him.

"You snore," she greeted him and Fiyero blinked, trying to clear the fogginess in his brain.

"Sorry. Fae doesn't complain."

"It's only when you're tired," a new voice mumbled and Fiyero looked over to see Elphaba stirring.

When she opened her eyes and saw Fiyero next to her, she smiled slightly.

"Hi."

"Hi," he replied with a smile of his own, and leaned over to kiss her sweetly.

Galinda couldn't help but beam, she had obviously never been privy to Elphaba and Fiyero's morning routine before, but it was a very sweet picture they made.

"Morning, Glin. What time is it?" Elphaba yawned, surprised her best friend was awake and ready.

"It's just before eight," Galinda answered.

"And you're up so early because?"

"Micah's picking me up at eight for breakfast," Galinda replied happily.

Elphaba frowned. "Isn't he taking you for dinner with your parents tonight?"

"Yes. But this is just for us. I'm so excited he's finally going to meet Momsie and Popsicle! I mean, he's written to them, of course, but they're finally going to meet!"

Galinda just glowed. Micah had been nothing less than a perfect gentleman since the time they'd met. He'd written to Galinda's parents before Lurlinemas, asking permission to court their daughter, and had made the effort in the months since for the Uplands to get to know him as well. And all these made him nothing short of an angel in Galinda's eyes.

Fiyero groaned reluctantly. "I should go," he sighed, not wanting to be caught leaving the girls' dormitories.

"I have to finish my make up," Galinda excused herself with a wave to Fiyero, and disappeared into the bathroom to give her friend's some privacy.

"Do you want to do breakfast?" Fiyero suggested to Elphaba.

"How about brunch?" she returned and Fiyero grinned and kissed her.

"Even better."

"Wilted Rose at ten-thirty?" she asked and he nodded.

"I'll meet you there."

It took a few more moments and kisses before Fiyero could actually bring himself to leave, but when he did, Elphaba quickly dressed in a grey dress and was brushing her hair when Galinda left the bathroom.

"Is Fiyero okay?" she asked. Fiyero had never stayed in their room before, either he and Elphaba were in his room, or she was here by herself.

"He told his parents last night," Elphaba explained and that was all she had to say.

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Elphaba assumed it was Micah until she opened the door. She couldn't hide her surprise to see Kasmira in the hallway.

"Kasmira!"

Elphaba really hoped the queen hadn't met her son on her way here, but Kasmira only smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Elphaba. I hoped you'd be up… would you like to come for a walk?"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed immediately, not wanting to refuse.

She hastily grabbed her shoes and key and followed her boyfriend's mother out of the dormitory building.

They headed away from the buildings towards the canal, when Kasmira stopped and sat down on a stone bench beside the path. Elphaba faltered, then sat down beside her. She distantly recalled the last time she'd had a private conversation with Kasmira, under the tree in Munchkinland.

"So… Fiyero spoke to you?" Elphaba finally asked, figuring it best not to let slip she knew perfectly well her boyfriend had spoken to them and the result of that conversation.

"Yes. How are you, sweetheart?"

Elphaba was not expecting the question and was slightly startled. "I- I'm fine, thank you."

"I didn't mean physically, Elphaba," Kasmira reprimanded her gently, and Elphaba stared at her lap.

Kasmira didn't prod the issue, but decided to reveal something even Fiyero didn't know.

"I had two miscarriages myself before Fiyero was born."

Elphaba's head whipped up, her eyes wide. "You did?"

The queen nodded sadly. "Yes. I was sixteen weeks for the first, four weeks for the second."

Elphaba leaned back against the back of the bench and drew her knees up to her chest. "Did you know you were pregnant?"

Kasmira paused, remembering what her son had told her the night before. "Yes, I did. Both times. But I don't think that makes the experience any less awful," she said gently.

Elphaba winced. "I should have realised."

The queen took her hand comfortingly. "Elphaba, did you have any reason to suspect you were pregnant?"

"No," Elphaba admitted. "I- I've never had regular periods," she said, blushing slightly. "But I still should have noticed _something. _Morning sickness, or some sign of what was happening."

Kasmira laughed gently. "Trust me, morning sickness is not something you should regret not experiencing. The second time I was pregnant, I had no morning sickness at all. With Fiyero, I couldn't keep anything down for four months."

Elphaba paused. "Does it ever stop hurting?"

"No," the queen admitted. "But it does get easier, I promise you that, dear. And… I don't want to sound like I'm pushing for grandchildren," she laughed.

"But when I held Fiyero in my arms for the first time… that's when it truly felt like all the pain was worth it. Seeing him… the two babies I lost still have their own place in my heart and always will. But Fiyero healed a lot of wounds for me."

Elphaba wondered if Fiyero had told his parents that she had seen the baby that would have been, their little girl, and decided not to mention it, just in case.

"Fiyero told Ibrahim and myself about your job. It sounds like an incredible offer, and I think you'll love the Emerald City."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I've always wanted to go…. I don't know what my father will say when I tell him. And although Fiyero has much confidence in my abilities, I'm not sure what kind of teacher I'll be. Two years is a long time."

Kasmira smiled. "I think it will go much faster than you expect, Elphaba. As for your father… does he know about-"

"No," Elphaba replied firmly. "And he won't know. He- he wouldn't approve, and I don't need to deal with that right now."

Kasmira and Ibrahim had discussed Frex's reaction to the news the night before, and fully agreed with Elphaba on that subject.

Eventually, the two women rose and began to head back. Abruptly, Elphaba stopped and turned to the queen nervously.

"I know Fiyero would have told you why I'm accepting the teaching position," she blurted out. "And I just want you to know… I love Fiyero. And my… hesitations about marrying him have nothing to do with you or Ibrahim or the idea of being a part of your family. It's just-"

Kasmira shook her head. "Elphaba, you don't have to explain. And if there is anything Ibrahim and I never have or will doubt, it's your love for our son, or his love for you. I can see your point," she admitted.

"You're twenty-three and you and Fiyero will have your whole lives together. Whether you marry now or in a few years will not change anything."

Elphaba looked relieved, she had just been struck by the thought of how the king and queen might interpret her reluctance to marry Fiyero immediately after graduation.

Kasmira surprised her by wrapping Elphaba in a warm, motherly hug.

"Thank you for understanding," Elphaba said gratefully and Kasmira smiled.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. And I hope you know you can always come talk to me- about anything. Now, what are your plans for today?"

Elphaba had very little plans, or nothing she cared about after brunch with Fiyero. Frex had sent word to Nessa he would be arriving around noon, and the graduation ceremony would begin at two. Fiyero and Boq had a bet on how long the ceremony would go for, and Elphaba was hoping to avoid having dinner with her father afterwards.

Galinda, of course, was going to dinner with her parents and Micah; Boq with his parents; and Nessa was hoping the Thropp girls would be having dinner with their father. She wasn't sure if Fiyero had plans with his parents.

Today was the ceremony, tomorrow was for packing up the rooms and last minute things like that, and then all the graduating students would leave Shiz for the final time the day after, but were technically free to leave any time after the ceremony. Elphaba was dreading leaving, but specifically dreading leaving Fiyero.

But she forced herself not to think about that as she and Fiyero enjoyed brunch together, and then he insisted on going with her to meet Frex at noon.

"When are you going to tell him about the Emerald City?" Nessa asked her sister as the three of them waited outside for the carriage to arrive.

"Tomorrow," Elphaba sighed. "I'm having a good day and I don't want to wreck it."

"You'll say that tomorrow too," Fiyero pointed out and she laughed.

"Most likely."

Elphaba wasn't surprised when Frex greeted Nessa warmly, herself coolly and ignored Fiyero completely. This was the first time Fiyero and Frex had come into contact since the Tiggular's stay at Munchkinland, and Frex did not take warmly to the young man who had been a guest in his home and lectured him on the treatment of his daughter.

Nessa acted as peacemaker and made pleasant conversation for a few moments before excusing the trio to collect their robes for the graduating ceremony. The robes pleased Elphaba and horrified Galinda, for they were black with a navy blue trim.

"So they don't clash with my skin," she laughed and was met with a disgruntled stare from Galinda, and an irritated glare from Fiyero.

"Yero, stop that," she rolled her eyes fondly.

Dr Dillamond and Dr Caesaarwigg moved through the crowd, organising the students into alphabetical order for the procession. Fiyero was pleased that he was close to Elphaba, with only Nessa separating them, and Galinda was behind him. Boq, unfortunately, was at the other end, his last name having the audacity to begin with a "D", but Fiyero was still happy.

"Are you ready for your speech, Fae?" he leaned forward over Nessa's head to whisper in her ear and she turned to him.

"No."

He smiled. "Fae, you'll be fine. It's just talking… and you're _so_ good at that. Ow!" he yelped as she pinched his arm and she smirked faintly.

"Shut up. And it's not _just _talking. It's talking to our classmates, several of whom still refer to me only as "the Artichoke" or "that green freak"; and their parents- who are doing a remarkable job of staring at me even when I'm _not_ in their central line of vision."

It was true, as the parents and friends of the graduates arrived, their attention was captured by the girl with the odd green skin.

"You'll be fine, Elphaba," Fiyero said softly. "Just find me, okay?"

Elphaba met his gaze and took a deep breath. "Ok, but do you know how hard it was to write a speech and _not _be sarcastic?" she asked and Fiyero laughed, sure that she would slip some in somehow.

"So, what is this bet between you and Boq?"

Fiyero grinned. "Easy. If the ceremony goes for less than three hours, I win and he has to pack up my room for me tomorrow. If it goes longer than three hours, he wins and I have to pack up his room."

Elphaba rose an eyebrow and stared past him to address Galinda. "Why will men do anything to avoid packing?"

Galinda giggled. "Because they're men. Enough said."

"You should know Horrible Morrible will most likely drone on for an hour just on her own," Elphaba informed Fiyero.

He groaned, wishing he'd reconsidered his guess in the bet. "Oh, Ozdamnit! Have you seen how much crap Boq has in his room? I am not looking forward to having to pack it all up, and my own room too."

"Then don't think about it. You're _so _good at that," she smirked mockingly and Fiyero made a face at her.

"Whatever, green girl."

Elphaba laughed as she faced the front of the line. When they'd all taken their seats, Nessa's chair carefully positioned in between Elphaba and Fiyero, the ceremony began. As she had predicted, Madame Morrible spoke for an hour, droning on about the wondrous history of Shiz and the legions of successful students that were counted as alumni of the prestigious academy.

Finally, the HeadShiztress began to sum up.

"Graduates… your future beckons. I'm sure I speak for all my fellow faculty members when I say that we have nothing but the highest hopes… for some of you. I trust your years at Shiz have been ones of learning, of achievement and of enjoyment. I trust you will look back with fond memories of these hallowed halls and vine-draped walls, the proudliest sight there is. When grey and seer your hair hath turned, I know you will still revere your lessons learned, in your days at dear old Shiz."

Fiyero heard Elphaba gagging quietly and he, Nessa and Galinda all had to stifle their laughter.

"And now, to address you all, I present to you, your class valedictorian. A student who has striven to achieve her full potential in her years at Shiz, and I know we will hear thrillifying news of her in years to come. Ladies and gentlemen- Miss Elphaba Thropp."

Polite applause rippled through the crowd as Elphaba rose from her seat and made her way to the podium. Her face was pale, but when Corin yelled out,

"Go, Elphaba!"

She blushed and colour returned to her face. Fiyero grinned as she reached the podium and watched her search his face out in the crowd. When she found him and their eyes met, he smiled encouragingly.

Elphaba took a deep breath and began to speak into the microphone.

"They say… and don't ask me who _they _are, because I couldn't tell you, but I am assured that this is definitely what _they _say… they say that the university years are the best times in a person's life. It's a time to discover who you are and what you are going to do for the rest of your life, your place in the world. Of course, that means more to some than others.

Some have spent the past three years working hard and studying to further their education. For some, Shiz has been a chance to become more independent and see more of Oz. And for some, university was simply a place to be, but nothing to be taken too seriously, because they're too busy dancing through life."

Elphaba, her eyes on Fiyero, watched as he rolled his eyes at her and she grinned wickedly as she continued.

"We've all been told that great things are awaiting us from today. That amongst our classmates for the past three years could be the next generation of celebrated heads of states, or great communicators… some might argue that those of us who achieve that status will not be the ones with brains or knowledge, but those who are most popular. That it is not about aptitude, but the way you're viewed that deems your success in life."

It was Galinda's turn to roll her eyes at Elphaba from her seat in the audience next to Fiyero and Elphaba resisted the urge to laugh.

"Realistically, today may be the last time you see many of the people around you today, the people you have talked to in the halls, sat next to in the cafeteria, borrowed a pen of them in a lecture hall, or bumped into at the library finishing homework or an assignment at the last moment."

There were a few laughs and knowing chuckles from the crowd at that and Elphaba relaxed, her tone turning serious.

"Every interaction you have with a person leaves an impact on you in some way. When you think about it, we've spent more time with one another in the past three years than we have with anyone else. And I believe it's safe to say that whatever way our stories end, each person in this room has had an impact on writing those stories.

There are many lessons I think we've learned in our days at Shiz that can't be found in a book or graded. People are not always what they first appear to be- some confusion over rooming may lead to being roomed with a person who is unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe… who may end up becoming your best friend, in spite of your solemn vows to loathe one another your whole lives long."

Galinda was no longer looking at Elphaba, she had buried her face in her hands and from Fiyero's alarmed and uncomfortable look, Elphaba assumed her friend had burst into tears.

"And even the person who seems to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow can be unhappy," Elphaba said softly and Fiyero's loving smile met her from the blur of faces in the crowd.

"You probably won't remember what the teachers taught you in years to come," Elphaba admitted. "You won't care about essays that more favour form than content, or which assignment you pulled an all-nighter on, convinced you were going to fail and swore your life was over if you did. What we'll take away from Shiz are the memories of the friends we made, the dances we attended, the times when your heart was broken… when you fell in love."

Elphaba had to look away from Fiyero's face then, before she was tempted to do as Galinda had and burst into tears. But she could feel his eyes watching her intently as she moved her gaze over to Nessa and then down to Boq.

"No matter where in Oz we came from, what grades we got, what circles we moved in… what colour our skin is… we'll all take away the same things from Shiz. We've all been changed for good because of Shiz and the people in it. And that's what we'll remember in the days to come. Thank you."

The applause was a lot louder as Elphaba made her way off the podium, and Elphaba heard an ear-piercing whistle, which she knew was from Corin. As she made her way back to her seat, Elphaba saw several other girls wiping their eyes, including Nessa.

"What did you-"

Elphaba's question was cut off as Fiyero leaned around, pulled her to him and kissed her- hard.

"If you could not do that six inches from my face, that would be great," Nessa interrupted disgruntled and Fiyero laughed as he pulled away and Elphaba blushed.

When Morrible and Dr Dillamond had handed out all the diplomas and announced the graduates to the crowd of parents and friends there were loud cheers, and Elphaba felt a thrill run through her. She had done it, she had graduated, and now her whole future stretched out before her.

And all she was confident on was that her future involved Fiyero, which she was quite satisfied with.


	25. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. So, today is September 11 (in Australia, anyway). And I know it's an awful anniversary that no one in the world wants to celebrate, so my thoughts and prayers are with everyone who had friends or family who died ten years ago today. **

**It's also the day that Wicked closes in Perth, Australia. This is it's last Australian stop, it goes on to tour Asia next year and New Zealand in 2013. It's been playing in Australia since 2008 and I've been extremely fortunate to see it 4 times. Wicked has brought so much to my life, including some of my best friends who have truly changed me for good and I feel so lucky to have Julia-Caesar and Hedwig466 in my life as my friends; and to all the wonderful people and reviewers (you guys) who have encouraged my writing and reviewed a lot... even if I think I've lost some of you in this story... or maybe you're reading and not reviewing. **

**But even though they'll never read this, I wanted to say a special thank you to the amazing Australian Wicked cast (past and present), specifically Jemma Rix, Lucy Durack, David Harris, Tim Campbell and Rob Mills and everyone involved in the show for all the work and effort you've put in. You've brought the land of Oz and the magic of Wicked to life for so many people for three years and the story of not only Elphaba and Fiyero, but of Elphaba and Glinda has touched so many people. **

**25**

Elphaba didn't even get a chance to more than glance at Galinda before she was pulled away by Nessa. Grimacing over her shoulder at Fiyero, Elphaba obediently wheeled her sister's chair through the crowd to where Frex was standing.

"Nessa! Congratulotions, my precious little girl! How does it feel to be a university graduate?" Frex beamed at his youngest daughter.

Nessa laughed. "I was doing fine until Fabala's speech, Father. Wasn't it wonderful?"

Frex's gaze flickered to Elphaba for a moment before he made a murmur of assertion in his throat, which was the closest thing to a 'congratulotions' or 'well done' as Elphaba knew she would get.

"Father, could we go and have dinner tonight? The three of us, as a family? It is a special occasion, and I'm sure there's much to talk about now that we've graduated."

Nessa shot a significant look at Elphaba who froze.

"Nessa," she began warningly, but was abruptly cut off by a loud squeal a second before Galinda threw herself on Elphaba in a tight hug.

"Oh, Elphie! That was the most tragically beautiful speech I have ever heard!" Galinda wept.

"And I can't believe you called me your best friend in front of everyone! I mean, you didn't mention names, but I assume it was me you were talking about."

"Galinda…. Can't- breathe!" Elphaba managed to choke out, and Galinda pulled away apologetically.

"Sorry, Elphie."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "And of course I was talking about you, you silly goose. Who else would I be talking about?"

Galinda sniffed, beaming through her tears, completely ignoring Nessa and Frex.

"Oh, I'm so glad. Because… you're my best friend too, Elphie. You're like my sister… I love you so much and I'm going to miss you dreadfully!"

Elphaba had to admit she had tears in her eyes as she pulled the blonde into a tight hug of her own.

"Don't say goodbye yet, Glin," she begged, not pulling away. "And please don't make me cry in front of my father."

Galinda realised then that Frex was standing there, and she pulled away from Elphaba, wiping her eyes with a smile, before turning to the Governor.

"Hello, Governor Thropp," she said politely with a curtsey.

"Father, this is Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands," Elphaba introduced her best friend and Frex nodded cordially.

"Miss Upland."

"Glinny!"

Galinda's eyes lit up as she turned, grabbing Elphaba's hand.

"Momsie, Popsicle- I want you to meet my best friend in all of Oz, Elphaba. Elphie, these are my parents, Gilderoy and Lillianah Upland."

Elphaba smiled slightly nervously at Galinda's parents, wondering what they thought of her skin. But Lillianah only clasped Elphaba's hand warmly.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Elphaba. Galinda's been telling us all about you for the past three years, we've been most curious to meet you."

"Oh, well… thank you," Elphaba said, unsure if that was a good thing or not.

Gilderoy kissed her hand lightly. "Please know that you're most welcome to be a guest in our home any time," he assured her. "You've been such a dear friend to our Glinny we feel as though we know you already."

Elphaba blushed. "Thank you," she said again, more genuine this time and Galinda squeezed her arm tightly.

She introduced them to Nessa and Frex and as the adults were greeting one another and exchanging pleasantries, Elphaba scanned the crowd.

"Have you seen Fiyero?" she asked Galinda and Nessa.

Both girls shook their heads. "I saw Micah for a moment, but that was it," Galinda sighed. "Maybe he went to take his robe back?"

The students were not allowed to keep the robes, they were used for every graduation ceremony, which was another reason Galinda detested them.

"Maybe."

Boq found them eventually, and he congratulated Elphaba on her speech before introducing his parents to the group, although Elphaba and Nessa already knew them. Boq's mother raved about Elphaba's speech and made her blush and she was muttering something about how it was nothing and she hadn't any clue what to say, when abruptly she was whirled off her feet and swung around.

"Fiyero!" she cried, knowing it was him instinctively and he laughed as he set her right on her feet.

"You are in so much trouble," he greeted her and she looked up at him innocently.

"Why?"

Fiyero chuckled and kissed her. "You know perfectly well why," he said accusingly and she cackled.

"And the ceremony went for just under three hours! So I win!" Fiyero continued gleefully and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Elphaba! Congratulations, sweetheart!" Kasmira was not far behind her son, and embraced Elphaba warmly.

Micah and Corin were next, and Elphaba felt oddly apprehensive as she turned to greet Ibrahim- the first time she'd seen the king since Fiyero had told him about the miscarriage.

"It was a wonderful speech, Elphaba. You should be very proud," he said affectionately and she smiled softly in return.

"Thank you."

Fiyero grabbed Elphaba's hand and addressed the adults, speaking for all five of them. "We're going to go return our robes," he announced and the parents merely nodded.

Micah and Corin looked thrillified to be left with the parents as they headed off.

"Thank Oz I can take off these horrendible robes!" Galinda shuddered and Elphaba laughed.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, Frex excused himself from the group and walked away. He soon found himself confronted by Madame Morrible.

"Governor Thropp! How lovely to see you, sir. You must be very proud of Miss Elphaba- achieving valedictorian is not an easy feat!"

"Ah, yes. Very proud," Frex said civilly, his tone hard.

"I must take this opportunity to tell you Governor, how proud I personally am of your daughter. She's been a wonderful student, and to still achieve such finishing marks particularly with the… unfortunate circumstances she suffered this semester. Not many could have done it."

Frex was confused. "Unfortunate circumstances?" he repeated.

Morrible was oblivious to his bewilderment. "Yes. Of course, something as tragic as a miscarriage is quite awful in itself, but to the extent of Elphaba, coming so close to death in the process… she's been incredibly strong through it all."

Frex was bewildered and mortified. "Yes… er, excuse me," he said hastily and nodded his head in farewell, before pushing his way through the crowd.

Quite by accident, he found Elphaba alone, talking to Dr Dillamond.

"Elphaba."

She turned and immediately straightened. "Father! Um, this is one of my teachers, Dr Dillamond. Dr Dillamond, this is my father."

Dr Dillamond beamed. "I'm glad to meet you, sir. I must say, my classroom will not be the same without your daughter in it next year."

Elphaba blushed but Frex only nodded curtly.

"I see. Elphaba, a word?"

Elphaba was startled, and taken aback by his rudeness to Dr Dillamond, but nodded.

"Yes Father."

She turned back to the Goat and hugged him fondly. "Thank you for everything, Dr Dillamond," she said sincerely and he smiled.

"Thank _you, _Miss Elphaba. I'm sure this shan't be the last time we meet."

Elphaba followed Frex into the school and into an empty classroom. She was confused by what her father wanted to talk to her about, but he was almost white faced with rage as he abruptly turned and seized her sharply by the arm, pulling her to him.

"I've just been informed by your HeadShizstress that you miscarried this past term. Tell me that isn't true, Elphaba!"

Elphaba's eyes widened and her face paled, mentally cursing Morrible to any and all dimension of hell.

"_Tell me it isn't true, Elphaba." _Frex growled, shaking her arm.

She met her father's furious gaze, and managed to find her voice. "I- I can't," she whispered, and couldn't stifle a gasp as her father struck her across the face.

"Do you realise how stupid you are?" he snarled. "Do you realise what this means for your sister's reputation?"

"It doesn't mean anything because no one knows!" Elphaba protested.

"And you really think something like this will stay hidden? Your sister is going to the Governor of Munchkinland one day, and the last thing she needs is people saying her sister is a whore!"

He threw Elphaba in disgust and she couldn't stop herself from crashing into the empty desks. She felt a sharp pain in her ribs as she landed, and as she instinctively threw her hands out to break her fall, she landed hard on her wrist and felt another jolt of pain shoot through her arm.

She had never seen Frex so mad as he glowered down at her. "I want you out," he announced coldly. "Out of my house, out of Muchkinland."

Elphaba gaped at him. "_What_? But Nessa-"

"Will be far better off away from your influence before you corrupt her innocent nature," he spat at her.

He raised his hand again and Elphaba flinched.

"_Stop!"_

Elphaba opened her eyes in shock to see Ibrahim and Kasmira enter the classroom. She was even more stunned when Ibrahim strode directly to Frex and promptly punched him in the jaw.

"Elphaba, are you alright?" Kasmira asked anxiously and Elphaba was surprised to find she was shaking.

"I- yes," she said.

Immediately after saying that though, she went to sit up and let out a cry of pain as her ribs protested against movement.

Kasmira's eyes grew worried. "Alright, sweetheart. Let me help you. Slowly."

Elphaba gingerly got to her feet with the queen's help. Her wrist throbbed, her ribs were so incredibly painful it hurt to even breathe and her face stung where Frex's hand had left a mark.

She stared at Ibrahim, who was breathing heavily and glaring at Frex furiously, who was nursing a bruised jaw.

"You will _never _touch her like that again, is that understood?" he said furiously. "We held our tongues about your treatment of Elphaba, because we didn't want to make things more difficult for Elphaba. But you are never to raise a hand to her again- _ever_."

"That won't be a problem," Elphaba spoke up shakily. "He- he kicked me out."

She took a deep breath and grimaced against the pain. Ibrahim's anger softened momentarily as he looked at Elphaba, and then turned to his wife.

"Kasmira, take Elphaba to be looked at. I need to finish my chat with the Governor," he said icily and the queen nodded.

"Alright. Come along, Elphaba."

Elphaba was very pale and walking very stiffly, and Kasmira feared that she may have broken some ribs when she fell.

"Elphaba, I think you'll need to go to the hospital," she said gently.

Elphaba froze, and her face turned even paler, if possible. Her last memory of the hospital was waking up and being told that she had miscarried. The smell of the hospital had clung to her nightmares for weeks after and just the thought of going back there made her head spin.

"No!" she gasped, but Kasmira was firm.

"Elphaba, you could be seriously injured. You need a hospital."

Kasmira led her towards the front of the school, where there would be a carriage to take them to the hospital, and before long they ran into Corin.

Corin's grin faded as he saw Elphaba. "What happened?" he demanded and Elphaba shook her head, unable to speak.

Kasmira was relieved to see her son's friend. "Oh, Corin, thank Oz. We need to get Elphaba to the hospital. Can you help?"

"Of course," Corin agreed immediately.

Elphaba didn't say a word as they loaded her into a carriage and headed for the hospital. But by the time they got there and were being shown directly into the emergency room, Elphaba was almost grey and she was trembling. The smell and the sounds were exactly the same, it was like being back in her nightmares, and she couldn't shake her memories of the last time she had been here.

Kasmira was afraid that Elphaba might faint, as she lay on the bed, stiff and shaking. The doctor came and examined her, but told them nothing except an orderly would be along in a moment to take her for x-rays for her wrist and ribs.

Corin watched her wide brown eyes flicker around the room, and felt his heart ache. Without saying a word, Elphaba was clearly screaming out for Fiyero.

"I'm going to go get Fiyero," he whispered to Kasmira so that Elphaba couldn't hear and the queen looked relieved.

"That's a good idea, Corin. Thank you."

Corin slipped out of the room and found the carriage, racing back to Shiz as fast as he dared. When he got there, it took him awhile before finding Fiyero heading for his dorm.

"Yero!"

Fiyero turned with a grin. "There you are! Micah's gone off with Galinda and the Upland's for dinner, and Nessa and Boq disappeared. Where were you?"

"Fiyero, I've just helped your mom take Elphaba to the hospital," Corin said quickly and Fiyero paled.

"What? Why? What happened?" he asked sharply.

"I don't know, she's hurt. But she's freaking out, Yero. She needs you."

Fiyero swore, he could only imagine what it was like for Elphaba to be back in hospital, the idea certainly terrified him.

"Let's go," he said immediately and they hurried away.

When they met Ibrahim, Fiyero was puzzled to see his father sporting a swollen and bruised hand.

"Dad?"

"Fiyero- have you seen your mother?"

"She's with Elphaba at the hospital," Corin explained quickly and Ibrahim looked relieved.

"Oh, good."

"Dad, what happened?" Fiyero asked worriedly and Ibrahim clasped his son's shoulder.

"I'll explain on the way, Yero."

Ibrahim told his son and Corin how he and Kasmira had walked in on Frex about to strike Elphaba, how he had clearly struck her moments before and that Elphaba had revealed her father had kicked her out of home.

Fiyero's face was ashen. "Why?" he asked frantically.

Ibrahim sighed. "I had a little chat with him afterwards. It appears Madame Morrible mentioned something to him about the baby."

Fiyero groaned, even more anxious to see Elphaba now.

When they reached the hospital, Fiyero ran inside, Corin and Ibrahim at his heels.

"Elphaba Thropp," he said to the front desk bluntly. "She was just brought in, I need to see her."

The nurse narrowed her eyes. "Are you family?"

Fiyero growled, he would not be stopped or kept in the dark- not like last time.

"I'm her fiancée," he lied easily and ignored the feeling of his father's eyes boring into his neck.

The nurse nodded and checked a chart. "She's just been moved from emergency. Room six-oh-two."

Fiyero hastily thanked her and led the way.

"Fae?"

Elphaba's head whipped to the doorway when she heard his voice, and the relief and emotion that lit up her eyes almost made Kasmira cry.

"Yero."

He didn't even acknowledge his mother as he went directly to Elphaba's side and moaned quietly to see the hand-shaped bruise marking her emerald cheek, gently taking her good hand in his.

Elphaba had tears in her eyes and she looked at him. "I- I can't be here, Yero. I-"

"Shhh, it's all right. I'm here," he soothed her, moving closer to her and whispered softly in her ear as she tried not to cry.

Kasmira moved back to give the couple some privacy, and went to greet her husband and Corin.

"What did he do?" Ibrahim asked.

Kasmira sighed grimly. "A sprained wrist and three fractured ribs."

Ibrahim swore. "Is she alright?"

Kasmira turned to examine Elphaba. She was already calmer as soon as Fiyero entered the room and was no longer shaking so bad, a faint colour returning to her face. She noticed they were both whispering to one another and Kasmira was blown away to see how Elphaba and Fiyero were taking comfort from one another.

"I'm going to go get some coffee," Corin excused himself. "Would you like anything?"

The king and queen both refused and when he'd left Kasmira turned to her husband. "We need to talk about the Emerald City."

Ibrahim looked at the couple too, and saw what his wife had seen. "Yes we do," he agreed heavily.

**AN. I know Frex's argument has been used before (by other and by me) probably to death, but let's be honest, he's only going to have one argument! And well, he's never kicked her out before! Tried to kill her unborn child, yes, not kick her out of home.**


	26. Chapter 26

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. I'm glad you all enjoyed seeing Ibrahim kick Frex's ass. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it :) And yes, Wicked is gone from Australia... and I am sad. But thank you to everyone who reviewed and made me feel a little bit better about it, but my Oz was twitter a depressing place that night!**

**And I can't believe we're on chapter 26 already! I'm excited, because chapters 32 onwards are some of my favourites. I can't wait for you guys to read them and get your thoughts!**

**26**

Elphaba had flatly refused to stay in hospital, so the doctor's reluctantly agreed to release her. They bandaged up her wrist and ribs and gave her a painkiller and then made her promise to rest as much as possible. She was going to be in pain for a while.

Ibrahim and Kasmira had left with Corin much earlier, so it was only Fiyero who was with her when they returned to Shiz. Elphaba was worried about Nessa and if she knew what had happened, but she was also in a lot of pain.

As Galinda was still out to dinner, and Fiyero was reluctant to leave Elphaba alone, he took her back to his room and helped her sit on the sofa.

"What's going to happen now?" she asked him worriedly, and he kissed her fingers.

"We'll work it out," he promised and she nodded.

There was a knock on the door and Fiyero opened it to let his parents inside. They looked faintly surprised to see Elphaba there, but made no comment on it.

"We wanted to talk to you- both of you," Ibrahim said gravely, taking a seat and Fiyero and Elphaba exchanged a glance.

"You know, Fiyero, why your mother and I were reluctant about the Emerald City idea," Ibrahim began. "You've always known once you graduated you'd have to start to take more royal duties on. It's part of an ancient Vinkun tradition for the monarchy."

"Yes," Fiyero sighed unhappily, sure his parents were about to refuse the idea.

"However," Ibrahim continued. "There is nothing traditional about you and Elphaba. But I don't think we can delay for two years."

Fiyero looked more hopeful now. "Which means?"

"We can give you until Lurlinemas definitively," Kasmira cut in with a warm smile. "Maybe longer, but we'll have to see what the situation is at Lurlinemas. But, on one condition, you may go with Elphaba to the Emerald City in the fall."

"What's the condition?" Fiyero asked.

"That you allow us to accommodate you during those four months and the apartment we choose will also serve for Elphaba's rooms for as long as she remains in the city," Ibrahim said with a warm smile and Elphaba gaped at him.

"I- I couldn't," she began to protest but Ibrahim held up a hand.

"I'm sorry, Elphaba. That is our condition and it is non-negotiable."

"Fae, shush," Fiyero said hastily and Elphaba rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

She took as deep a breath she could without hurting her ribs and nodded. "Ok. Thank you," she said gratefully and Kasmira chuckled.

Then Elphaba looked worried. "What about… what about my father?" she asked faintly and Ibrahim and Fiyero's faces darkened in unison.

"Yes… Elphaba, I know you are worried about who will care for your sister, but I refuse to let you go back to Munchkinland, particularly injured and with what Kasmira and I saw today," Ibrahim said gently.

Elphaba was grateful for his concern, but that didn't lessen her concern over Nessa.

"What- what will she say?" she asked Fiyero in a pained whisper and he shook his head, tilting her chin to look up at him.

"Hey… she will not blame you," he assured her firmly. "I'll talk to her myself if I have to, okay?"

Elphaba gave a small nod, but clearly wasn't convinced. Ibrahim had more to say, but was cut off by a furious knock on the door.

"Who in Oz could that be?" Fiyero wondered as he went to answer it, and Elphaba carefully and painfully rose to her feet, wondering if it were Nessarose.

But it was Galinda.

"Fiyero! Is Elphie here? I went to our room and she wasn't there and I _have _to see her this instant!"

Fiyero turned to point to Elphaba, and Galinda flew past him and to Elphaba's side.

"_Elphie! _You'll never believe it. Micah and I are getting married!" she squealed and threw herself on Elphaba in a bone-crushing hug.

Elphaba couldn't hide an exclamation of pain as Galinda jarred her fractured ribs and her knees buckled slightly. Fiyero hurried to her side and eased Galinda off of her, helping a ashen-faced Elphaba into the closest chair.

Galinda was bewildered and then gasped as she saw the mark on Elphaba's cheek.

"Sweet Oz! Elphie? What happened?"

She crouched down to examine the mark carefully as Elphaba quietly explained.

"My father found out about the baby."

Galinda drew in her breath sharply. "Elphie, he _didn't!"_

"Three fractured ribs and a sprained wrist," Fiyero informed her darkly and Galinda's eyes welled up with tears.

"Oh, Elphie… I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't know, Glin," Elphaba assured her. "And it gets worse… he- he kicked me out. He said he doesn't want me anywhere near Nessa."

Galinda was horrified. "Oh my… what are you going to do?" she asked and Elphaba shook her head.

Ibrahim opened his mouth to interject, but Galinda cut him off with another squeal as her eyes lit up.

"Ooh! Elphie- come and stay with me this summer until you leave for the city!" she suggested eagerly.

"My parents won't mind, Popsicle just said you're welcome anytime, remember? Oh, and you can help me plan the wedding!"

"Hey, I wanted her to spend the summer!" Fiyero exclaimed.

"We'll share her," Galinda suggested. "She can stay the first half with you, and the second half with me! Because I'm closer to the Emerald City."

"Oh no," Fiyero shook his head. "The other way around. I'm not spending another anniversary apart."

Galinda nodded in agreement. "Of course, I didn't think about that. What do you say, Elphie?"

"Well, it's nice to be asked," Elphaba said dryly and Galinda giggled. "But… it sounds perfect," she agreed and Galinda clapped her hands in giddiness.

Ibrahim had about to been to suggest Elphaba stay with them at Kiamo Ko for the summer, but shook his head as he exchanged an amused look with Kasmira.

And then Elphaba looked at her friend in amazement. "Wait- Micah _proposed?"_

Galinda blushed as she nodded. "At dinner. Look!"

She waved her left hand in Elphaba's face, where a beautiful ring now adorned her finger, a pale pink diamond on a gold band. Elphaba admired it and then smiled at her best friend.

"You're getting _married."_

Galinda giggled and nodded. "Will you be my maid of honour Elphie? I won't make you wear pink, I promise," she vowed and Elphaba grinned.

"Of course I will," she accepted and Galinda beamed tearily as she hugged Elphaba again, much more gently this time so as not to hurt her.

Fiyero was amazed. "Congratulotions, Glin. Where's the groom-to-be?" he asked.

"He went to tell Corin and then they were going to come here and tell you," Galinda explained.

"Oh, Elphie! It's going to be perfect! I've already decided it's going to be at Lurlinemas in Gillikin," she said happily.

"Does Micah know about this?" Fiyero asked in amusement.

"He will," Galinda replied dismissively and Fiyero laughed.

He laughed even harder when Micah and Corin arrived and after hearing all about Elphaba and Frex, Elphaba smirked at Micah as she congratulated him.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"You went with the pink engagement ring," she said simply.

Micah was confused. "It's her favourite colour."

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. But now, for the rest of your lives, every piece of jewellery you buy, every outfit she wears, _must_ be able to be accessorised with that ring."

"Oh that's true!" Galinda gasped thoughtfully.

"So, good luck with that," she grinned and Fiyero and Corin were doubled up in laughter at the dismayed expression on Micah's face.

Elphaba stayed with Fiyero that night, she was in no condition to be moved anywhere. In the morning, she convinced Fiyero to help her to Madame Morrible's rooms to see Nessa. When they arrived however, Morrible looked surprised to see Elphaba.

"Miss Elphaba! You're here! I thought you'd left."

"No," Elphaba replied in confusion.

"But your father came by early this morning, packed Miss Nessarose's belongings and left. I assumed you'd left too."

At Elphaba's stricken look, Fiyero quickly intervened.

"Uh, Elphaba's going to spend the summer at the Upland's home. I guess Nessa left earlier than expected," he lied, which was the truth and Morrible looked assured.

"Oh, I see. Well, that would explain this then-"

She left the room for a moment and when she returned, there was a letter in her hand.

"I found this in your sister's room. It's addressed to you, I'd assumed she'd simply forgotten to pack it…"

"Thank you, Madame," Elphaba murmured faintly, taking the letter.

She was shaken as Fiyero led her back to his room, and she sat gingerly on the sofa.

"He took her… I didn't get to explain, or say goodbye," she whispered and Fiyero kissed the top of her head softly.

"I know, honey. I'm sorry. Why don't you read the letter?" he suggested, and Elphaba nodded.

_Dear Fabala, _[it read]

_I don't know what's going on. Father came by early this morning and packed my things, he's out loading the carriage now, so I'm hastily writing this to you. Father's face is dreadfully bruised and he is angrier than I've ever seen him. When I asked him where you were, he said that you weren't coming home with us. _

_I don't know why, or where you're going… Boq is still here, please, please, __please__ send word back with him about what is going on. _

_Your loving sister, _

_Nessarose._

Elphaba felt awful as she finished reading. "Boq… get Boq," she said to Fiyero thickly, who nodded hastily and left the room.

Boq's dorm was only a floor under Fiyero's and when the Munchkin finally opened the door, it was clear Fiyero had woken him up.

"Fiyero!" he groaned. "I know I lost the bet, but do I have to pack right now? It's only nine-thirty!"

"It's Elphaba," Fiyero said quickly. "Come up to my room and we'll explain everything. It's important."

Bewildered, Boq agreed. He was as horrified by the story as everyone else was, and didn't hesitate to agree to tell Nessa and pass on a message from her sister.

There was an awkward silence when they'd finished talking, which Fiyero broke by clearing his throat.

"Say, Boq, while you're here…"

Elphaba couldn't really pack her own room, given her ribs, but Galinda was more than happy to help. She'd already talked to her parents about Elphaba staying with them, and they'd agreed easily. As she packed, Galinda chattered along happily about the wedding plans she was already formulating, which Elphaba appreciated the distraction.

Once again, Elphaba spent the night with Fiyero, and she smiled tiredly as they lay in bed together for the last time until she would arrived in the Vinkus in August.

"This probably isn't how you pictured our last night together."

Fiyero grinned. "Oh, I don't know. I'm here, you're here… we're alone, in bed. Admittedly, we're wearing more clothes than I'd like," he said teasingly and she laughed and then gasped.

"Oh, don't make me laugh, it hurts," she moaned, one hand on her ribs.

Fiyero smiled softly, lightly placing a hand on her bandaged abdomen, kissing the bandage gently before kissing her lips.

"Sorry. I love you, Fae."

"I love you too," she whispered and entwined her fingers in his as she drifted off to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Just once more, I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to not only read each chapter, but just to actually write a review and tell me your thoughts on each chapter and what parts/lines you liked especially. I keep every single review email, and I feel very blessed to get such amazing and considerate feedback from all of you.**

**And to "Just Me", yeah I get what you mean. But I figured, Galinda is the one who insisted she was going to marry Fiyero after their first date! And it wouldn't be too realistic for all the other characters to put their lives on hold until Elphaba and Fiyero eventually get married. It was a hard decision to make as a writer!**

**27**

Elphaba thoroughly enjoyed her month at Galinda's. Granted her recovery was slow, particularly when it came to her ribs, but she actually enjoyed helping Galinda plan her wedding to Micah.

Micah had agreed to the plan of Lurlinemas in Gillikin, and he was extremely grateful Elphaba was there to help tame some of Galinda's more exuberant ideas.

Elphaba was dealing better with the issue of Frex too. She and Nessa were corresponding through Boq, and Boq reported that Nessa had been devastated to learn the truth and that Elphaba had been injured. She was trying to convince their father to change his mind about keeping Elphaba away from her, but so far had no luck.

Frex had employed Boq's mother to care for Nessa, which Elphaba was thankful for, so that her sister was not being cared for by a stranger.

"_I'm really doing fine, Fabala," _Nessa wrote to her sister at the end of July. "_I miss you dreadfully, but I am perfectly fine. Don't worry about me, just relax. I know August will be a difficult month for you, and hopefully being with Fiyero in the Vinkus will help. Once you're in the Emerald City, I want to hear everything about city life and your students. I love you, and I'm praying for you and Fiyero in the following weeks. Even if Father doesn't relent, he won't stop me from attending Galinda's wedding, so I will see you there. _

_All my love, Nessa."_

Nessa was right that August would be a difficult month for Elphaba and Fiyero. Two days before their two-year anniversary was the day their daughter should have been born, and both were at a loss on what to do on that day.

"It wouldn't feel right to ignore it, but I wouldn't know how to acknowledge it, either," Elphaba said sadly to Galinda.

It was the end of July and Fiyero would be arriving at the Upland's home the next day to escort Elphaba back to the Vinkus. Her ribs and wrist completely healed, Elphaba was packing her things, as Galinda sat on the bed, helping.

"I wish I could help, Elphie," Galinda said quietly.

Elphaba smiled and hugged her friend. "You are helping. You've let me stay here for a month, and you've been so good at keeping me busy when I needed it."

Galinda beamed. "I'm glad."

The closer the day got, the more sad Elphaba had become, and she'd recently begun dreaming of the baby in her dreams for the past week, which worried Galinda.

"It'll be easier when you see Fiyero, I think," Galinda said to Elphaba who agreed.

"Yeah. It's been harder than I thought," she admitted.

This was the first time they'd been apart since the previous summer, and not having Fiyero around when Elphaba was having a particular hard day had proved challenging. And clearly not just for Elphaba, either.

When Fiyero arrived at the Upland's home and Galinda showed him in, she smiled as Elphaba flew into the room and into his arms and they just held each other tightly for a long moment.

"I missed you so much," she whispered and he chuckled and held her even closer.

"I missed you too, green girl. Oz, I missed you."

"Are you doing okay?" he asked quietly, frowning in concern as he saw the circles under her eyes.

She smiled faintly and shook her head. "Dreams. I'll tell you about it later," she promised and he kissed her forehead gently.

Galinda and Elphaba embraced tightly before Elphaba left, and they both cried, before Fiyero pointed out they'd see each other in December for the wedding.

Galinda glared at him before pulling away. "Alright," she said to Elphaba firmly, wiping her eyes.

"Now, _write _to me. A lot, okay?"

"I will," Elphaba promised.

"Maybe you can come to the city for a weekend?" she suggested and Galinda's eyes lit up.

"Oh, I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"

Elphaba laughed. "Good."

Eventually, Elphaba said goodbye and climbed into the carriage and Galinda waved as it rode away. She and Fiyero made the most of the journey from Gillikin to the Vinkus, and Elphaba confessed to him about her dreams.

"They're definitely dreams, not visions?" Fiyero asked and she nodded.

"Yes, definitely dreams," she said firmly.

Fiyero told her that his parents had already found an apartment in the Emerald City for them, one that was not too far from the orphanage, but still in the midst of the city.

"What will they do with it afterwards?" Elphaba asked and Fiyero shrugged.

"I don't know. Sell it, I guess. Or keep it in case they have to do business trips to the City and don't want to stay in a hotel."

And he had another surprise for her. Nessa had at least convinced Frex to send Elphaba's belongings from her room to Kiamo Ko, where they were now waiting for her. Elphaba was thrilled, she had feared all the books and things she had left behind were now lost to her.

This was the first time Elphaba had been to the Vinkus in another season other than winter, and she was amazed by the difference and equally entranced by the beauty of the land. Fiyero showed her the grasslands, which were beginning to recover from the bushfire they had suffered in June and promised her that come spring time, they would be abloom with wildflowers.

"It sounds beautiful," Elphaba murmured and he grinned.

"It is. It's my favourite place in the Vinkus," he admitted.

Micah and Corin were frequent dinner guests at Kiamo Ko, and Ibrahim and Kasmira were as warm as ever. They all knew this would be a difficult time for both Elphaba and Fiyero, and it was Kasmira who gave Fiyero the idea of just how to commemorate August 24th.

When Elphaba awoke and realised what day it was and what it meant, she wanted to do nothing more than bury her head in her pillows and go back to sleep. There was a lump in her throat and a heavy weight in her stomach, which grew heavier when she rolled over and realised Fiyero was not there.

Since Ibrahim and Kasmira knew the truth, there had been no reason for Elphaba not to be put in Fiyero's room, and she didn't realise until she saw the empty bed how much she had been depending on waking up beside him, especially today of all days.

As she lay there, trying to find the willpower to get out of bed and somehow endure this awful day, the door opened and Fiyero entered. When he saw she was awake, he paused for only a moment, before striding over to the bed, leaning down and kissing her so intensely Elphaba almost forgot to breathe.

"I'm sorry… I wanted to be here when you woke up," he whispered between kisses and she buried her face in his neck.

"Where were you?"

"I had to make sure everything was ready."

Elphaba frowned. "Ready for what?"

He shook his head. "You'll see," he said mysteriously. "Come on, let's get you up," he said gently, sitting up and pulling her up with him.

Elphaba shook her head and pulled him back down. "In a minute," she murmured and Fiyero lowered his lips to hers, not needing an explanation.

Eventually, when Elphaba had washed and dressed, Fiyero led her outside the castle and into the grounds.

"What are we doing?" Elphaba asked as she followed him into the gardens. It was the same garden she and Nessa had discovered Galinda and Micah in at Lurlinemas the year before, but it was empty now- Fiyero had told her that Kasmira was having it redone.

"You'll see."

He walked over to an empty flowerbed that was in the centre of the garden. It was obviously freshly dug and as Elphaba stood next to him she looked confused.

"Yero, what is it?"

He gestured to the empty flowerbed. "I was thinking about today and realised… we have nothing of her. There's nothing we can look at and say she existed for the little time she did, even if we didn't know about her."

He pointed, and for the first time, Elphaba noticed a wheelbarrow next to the flowerbed with several small plants in it, ready to be planted.

"I've been working on this for a week," he admitted. "I picked a few different flowers that… mean something. And this way… we'll always have something for her."

Elphaba was desperately trying not to cry, but as she squeezed his hand, Fiyero knew she loved the idea.

"What- what are they?" she managed to ask and Fiyero pointed out the different plants.

"This one's a pink cinquefoil," he said. "It means 'beloved child'. The purple ones are orchids, which are the symbol for- for many children. And this one is a dark crimson rose, which is the flower for mourning. The garden itself… is from my parents. I only asked for a bed in one of the existing gardens, but my mom thought this way… we can add to it, over the years."

Fiyero had loved the idea, there were so many flowers that expressed what he was trying to say.

"It's perfect," Elphaba choked out and Fiyero drew her into his arms.

"Want to plant them?" he asked her after a moment, and she nodded resolutely.

"Yes."

It didn't take long, and when they'd finished, Elphaba sat on the ground, staring sadly at the orchids.

Fiyero eased himself on the ground beside her and took her hand.

"There was one more idea my mom had… I realised we never talked about it. But it might help."

She looked at him. "What?"

"Maybe… naming her?"

The idea hadn't occurred to Elphaba and she mulled the idea over thoughtfully for a few moments.

She had seen the baby girl, she knew she would have had Fiyero's eyes and nose, and her own black hair. So why not name her? To both Elphaba and Fiyero, she already had an identity, this would just further make her real- another sign she had existed.

"I like that idea," she said softly. "What would we name her?"

Fiyero paused. "I didn't get that far in my thinking process," he admitted and she actually laughed.

"That doesn't surprise me."

She moved so that she was curled up against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, tentatively placing his hands on her flat stomach. She placed her own hands over his and they were silent for a long time, both thinking. This wasn't a decision either wanted to make lightly.

"I like Mena," Elphaba said quietly. "But is it too close to Melena?"

"We could do that," Fiyero suggested. "Name her after your mother… and you, partly. Mena for short."

"Melena Kasmira," Elphaba returned. Then she hesitated. "Would your mom mind?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I think she'd be honoured, Fae."

"Melena Kasmira Tiggular," Elphaba said slowly, then looked up and met his eyes. "What do you think?"

He smiled and kissed her gently. "I think it fits."

**AN. I got the name "Mena" from **_**Bambi 2**_** and thought it was pretty, but wondered if it was too close to Melena, so… that was the result. Btw, has anyone seen **_**Bambi 2? **_**It's really cute. And the song that plays during the credits "healing of the heart" is sung by Anthony Callea, who was the original Australian Boq! And he's also in a relationship with Tim Campbell, who was the 2****nd**** Fiyero I saw and my favourite. I love them!**


	28. Chapter 28

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Btw, I've changed my twitter username, I'm now carlie_dawn. I've changed it on my profile, but i've mentioned it a few times in various AN's for chapters, so thought I'd let you know.**

**28**

Elphaba fell in love with the Emerald City as soon as she first saw it. Everything was a dazzling shade of green, there was so much culture in its' museums, libraries and wonders like Elphaba had never seen. Best of all, no one looked twice at the colour of her skin.

But the thing that shocked her most was when Fiyero opened the door and she stepped into the apartment Ibrahim and Kasmira had organised for them, that would be Elphaba's home for the next two years.

"Oh. My. Oz."

Fiyero grinned as he looked around. "This place is awesome!"

Elphaba just looked shocked. "I can't believe your parents went to this much trouble…" she murmured.

Fiyero snorted. "I'm sorry, Fae- have you not met my parents?"

She rolled her eyes and continued exploring. The apartment had two large bedrooms with a spectacular view of the city from every window, a beautiful kitchen and open living area. The apartment was also fully furnished and the kitchen had been stocked with food and supplies.

When all the luggage had been brought in, Elphaba turned to Fiyero.

"I guess we should start unpacking," she sighed.

Fiyero shook his head. "First things first, Fae."

She frowned. "What's more important than unpacking?" she demanded, then gasped as he scooped her into his arms with a grin.

"Christening the bedroom, duh."

It took three days before the apartment was set up to Elphaba's liking. The apartment block was only a five minute walk to the Emiliani Orphanage where Elphaba would be teaching. The orphanage was named for St Jerome Emiliani, the patron saint for orphans, and it was run by a lovely middle-aged woman named Amala, who wasn't perturbed by the colour of Elphaba's skin.

"My brother and his wife have a big country estate up at Neverdale, by Lake Chorge," she explained when Elphaba called by the orphanage two days before school would resume.

"Every two years they take the children for a few weeks, so I can have a break and the children can have some fun. That's why school is resuming late this year," she explained.

"That's nice of them," Elphaba said and Amala smiled.

"Yes. The children adore it. We'd make it an annual trip if we had the funds."

"So, how many children are there exactly that I'll be teaching?" Elphaba asked her.

"There's currently thirty children in the orphanage," Amala replied. "But the under-fives don't attend school, so that only leaves you with eighteen."

Elphaba was stunned. "You have twelve children here under five?"

Amala nodded. "Yes. But those are the ones who will find homes before any of your students. People are reluctant to adopt older children… they want babies or toddlers normally."

She leaned back in her chair and studied Elphaba carefully. "You know, I was a Shiz girl… many years ago," she laughed. "Horrible Morrible was my HeadShizstress too. She spoke very highly of you, Miss Elphaba. The only hesitation she gave was she said you were practically engaged to the prince of the Vinkus."

Elphaba blushed. "I don't know about 'practically'," she muttered and Amala's eyes widened.

"So, it's true? Oh my… how long have you been together?"

"Two years," she replied uncomfortably.

"That's lovely. So, he's in the Vinkus?"

"Actually, he's here with me for the present time," Elphaba replied.

Amala laughed warmly. "Oh, trust me, Miss Elphaba. There's no more magical place for a young couple in love than the Emerald City. What does he plan to do whilst you're teaching?"

Ibrahim had made his own arrangements for Fiyero, not wanting his son to be idle for four months. Ordinarily, Fiyero would be serving time in the Vinkun military as was part of royal tradition. So Ibrahim had arranged for Fiyero to begin his training with the Gale force, those that served the Wizard in his palace as security.

Fiyero was looking on the bright side. "At least the uniforms are dashing," he'd joked to Elphaba, who rolled her eyes.

When Fiyero awoke on the morning of Elphaba's first day as a teacher, he looked over to see her lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

"Fae?"

"What if I can't do it?" she asked him quietly.

"Impossible," he replied immediately, leaning up on one elbow to face her.

"What if they hate me? What if… my skin-"

"Hey," Fiyero cut her off fiercely. He picked up her hand and kissed a trail up her arm from her fingers to her neck. "I love your skin."

She sighed and turned her head to him. "I think you're biased, Yero."

"Why would you say that? What makes you think I haven't loved your skin since before I loved you?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "_Maybe the driver saw green and thought it meant go."_

Fiyero paused. "That doesn't mean I didn't love it," he defended himself and she laughed.

"Yeah, right."

He raised an eyebrow pointedly at her as she got out of bed. "Don't you remember me telling you that you didn't need to be 'Galindafied'?" he asked quietly.

Elphaba turned, her face soft. Coming around to his side of the bed, she leaned down and kissed him deeply.

"I remember everything you've ever said to me," she whispered.

Fiyero grinned and kissed her again. "Then remember that you are going to be amazing at this and those kids are going to love you."

Elphaba laughed and pulled away.

When Elphaba arrived at the orphanage and was shown by Amala in to her classroom, there was a surprise on both sides. Elphaba was faintly startled to see eighteen pairs of eyes on her the second she walked through the door, just as the students were surprised to see their new teacher was as green as the Emerald City.

"Children, this is your new teacher, Miss Thropp. I trust you'll make her feel welcome."

When she'd first met, Amala had suggested Elphaba keep it easy for the first day or two- get to know her students, their capabilities and allow the kids to know her.

"They don't meet many people, so a lot of them don't trust easily," she'd warned her, which Elphaba could relate to.

"Hello," she greeted them nervously when she was alone. "It's nice to meet you all."

Awkward silence met her, before a young girl in the front raised her hand. Elphaba was pretty sure she knew what the question was she was about to ask.

"Yes?"

"Why are you green?"

_And ten points to me, _Elphaba thought dryly, before clearing her throat to reply.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I was just born this way."

A boy down the row from her raised his hand. "So you've _always _been green?"

Elphaba sighed. "Yes."

"What's your name?" one of the older girls asked and Elphaba hesitated.

"Elphaba," she replied.

She had heard some of the children call Amala "Miss Amala" earlier, and she really hated being called "Miss Thropp."

Again, one of the older girls raised her hand. "I heard Miss Amala telling the cook that our new teacher was dating Prince Fiyero of the Vinkus. Is that true?"

Elphaba was stunned as the ten girls in the class, (all ages) and even some of the boys, leaned forward expectantly in the chairs waiting for her answer, the room completely silent.

"Well, I… yes," she replied tentatively.

The group of girls drew in their breath in awe, looking at her with even wider eyes.

"Oh. My. Oz," she heard one girl clearly exclaim and Elphaba blushed.

"That was all they would talk about until _lunch_ time!" she stressed to Fiyero that night as they made dinner.

"For three hours, it was just, '_when are you getting married?', 'are you going to be a princess?', 'is he a good kisser?' _and my personal favourite, _'what is it like to touch his hair?'" _

Fiyero laughed. "And what did you say?" he asked with a grin.

"To which question?"

Fiyero pulled her into his arms. "Well, I'm quite interested in the first one, but I find those last two particularly intriguing."

Elphaba smirked. "I wasn't going there on the hair question, and I managed to deflect the issue of our marriage."

"And am I a good kisser, Miss Thropp?"

Elphaba grimaced in mock thought. "You know… I don't remember. You may have to remind me," she giggled and Fiyero happily obeyed.

There were ten girls and eight boys in Elphaba's class, all ranging between the ages of six and fifteen. They warmed to Elphaba fairly quickly, and she fell comfortably into her role as teacher. There were several students in particular, who attached themselves to Elphaba within the first week.

There were three girls who Elphaba silently dubbed "The Three Musketeers". Yulia, Laryn and Calleigh were a few of her older students and the best of friends. Calleigh was fifteen, whilst Yulia and Laryn were fourteen. They were all reasonably bright, and all found Elphaba's relationship with Fiyero a key note of interest. The oldest in the class was a boy named Maikel who was nearly sixteen and Elphaba's best student. But the student who made Elphaba's heart ache more than anything else was six year old Zofie.

She was a beautiful, sweet little girl, who quickly clung to Elphaba, and was entranced with the idea her beloved teacher would one day be a princess.

And Elphaba loved her job. She ate lunch with the children, and often stayed behind after class was officially dismissed at three o'clock, either to help some of her students with homework, merely talk to them, or to assist Amala with the littlest children, the under-fives. But she made sure she was home by six so that she and Fiyero could have dinner together and spent their evenings either in the apartment or exploring the city.

She loved all the children whether she taught them or not, but she couldn't deny it was helping Amala with the babies who had been abandoned at the orphanage that was hardest for her. Although she had grown up with Frex, and especially after what had happened with Mena, Elphaba couldn't understand what would cause someone to abandon their baby.

"Even if my father didn't want me, he still kept me," she pointed out to Fiyero.

Fiyero hated that she was struggling to be with the babies, knowing how hard it was for her, but was also incredibly proud of her for not letting it stop her. At the end of her second week, on Friday, Elphaba was in the classroom explaining a math problem to Maikel, when Yulia and Laryn burst into the classroom, both red-faced and giggling madly.

"Girls, what are you doing?" Elphaba demanded.

"Miss Amala sent us to get you," Yulia replied breathlessly.

"You have a visitor," Laryn announced.

Elphaba frowned for a moment and then rolled her eyes. She knew exactly who her visitor was.

The orphanage was strangely quiet as she collected her things and left the classroom. Sure enough, when she reached the foyer, she found her entire class and the smaller children as well, all crowded around Fiyero.

"What?" he asked her innocently, smiling charmingly at her as she met his gaze.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, much to the amusement of her students.

"Don't look at me like that, Fae," Fiyero protested.

Calleigh frowned. "Fae? Why do you call her Fae?"

"An excellent question I've given up asking, Calleigh," Elphaba replied dryly.

"It just slipped out one day and it stuck," Fiyero shrugged. "I got out early today, and thought I'd walk you home," he explained to Elphaba.

"Ohhh, that is so sweet," Laryn murmured and Elphaba blushed as Fiyero grinned.

"Alright. Let's go then," she said.

"Bye Miss Elphaba!" cried Zofie, waving cheerfully at her and a chorus of "Bye, Miss Elphaba! See you Monday!" followed Elphaba outside.

She glared teasingly at Fiyero once they had reached the street. "Your fan club doesn't have an Emerald City chapter? Is that what this is?" she teased.

Fiyero laughed. "I was curious," he defended himself. "I've heard so much about these kids in two weeks, I wanted to see them. And I really was just nearby."

"Well, I just don't want to find any scrawls of '_I heart Fiyero'_ or _'_ _Mrs Fiyero Tiggular' _when I collect those girls' books," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Fiyero grinned. "Don't worry, Fae. That title is specifically reserved for a certain green girl," he murmured, drawing her close and kissing her deeply.

Elphaba smiled, but frowned inquisitively as Fiyero looked slightly guilty when he pulled away.

"What is it, Yero?"

"Er- oops."

Elphaba turned and saw a bunch of small faces pressed up against the orphanages' windows, all giggling softly. When they saw her, they suddenly and hastily moved away.

"Oh, Oz," Elphaba moaned and Fiyero chuckled.

"Come on. Let's go home."

He took her hand as they began to walk, when suddenly he turned to her casually.

"Did you ever write _'I heart Fiyero'_ or '_Mrs Fiyero Tiggular_' in _your_ schoolbooks?"

Elphaba smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."


	29. Chapter 29

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Wow. It is always the chapters you don't expect that get the biggest reactions! unless you do something like shoot Fiyero, or leave Elphaba bleeding to death... I was completely amazed at the response to the last chapter and thank you all so much! It was so great to hear from everyone, and I'm glad you liked the kids :) There'll be more of them!**

**29**

When she had been at Kiamo Ko during the last of the summer, it had all been somewhat of a blur. Between her nervousness over teaching, her concern for Nessa and her grief over Mena; it hadn't sunk in that she was living with Fiyero.

So it was now, in their beautiful Emerald City apartment, that Elphaba really experienced what life would be like with Fiyero once they were married. And Elphaba had to admit, life was good. She still missed her sister desperately, and not a day went by she didn't think of Mena, but Elphaba was happier than she'd ever been.

"The kids at the orphanage are just wonderful," she told Galinda sincerely, when her friend came to the Emerald City for the weekend late in October.

Galinda smiled. "Fiyero told me the kids now call you 'Miss Fae'. He thinks its adorable."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "That's all _his_ fault," she sighed. "But the kids… all love him. The girls, the boys…"

"Sounds like the problem he had at Shiz," Galinda nodded seriously. "All the girls want him and all the boys want to be him."

Galinda couldn't help but giggle as her friend glared at her. "Sorry, Elphie. What's it like… living with Fiyero, I mean?"

Elphaba sighed thoughtfully. "Well… it's really good. I mean, we still argue… Fiyero hates doing dishes and getting up before seven, and I have a tendency to use all the hot water and can't stand any mess," she admitted with a faint laugh.

"But I love coming home to him," she added softly and Galinda beamed.

"Oh, Elphie. I think your own wedding could be closer after the end of these two years than you once thought," she teased lightly.

Elphaba blushed, but didn't argue.

The wedding plans for Galinda's own wedding were just about finalised, and Galinda was impatient for the day to arrive.

"I thought six months would be enough time to plan the wedding. But everything's going so well… I almost wish things were falling apart, so at least I'd be distracted."

Elphaba grinned. "I find it hilarious how mad Fiyero is with you."

Galinda giggled. Micah had asked Fiyero to be his best man, which meant Fiyero would be paired with Elphaba. Whilst he was thrillified by that, he'd been pestering Galinda for details on the maid of honour dress his girlfriend would be wearing. Galinda was keeping that as firmly under wraps as her own dress and it was driving Fiyero crazy.

"Although I don't see why it has to be such a big secret," Elphaba added. "Don't forget, you're going home, but I still have to live with him."

"I want to see his face when he sees you in it!" Galinda explained.

"Galinda, I'm the maid of honour, you're the bride. You enter _after_ I do. You won't see anything!" Elphaba replied in exasperation.

Galinda only beamed. "I have a plan, Elphie."

Elphaba groaned inwardly. Galinda's plans never boded well.

The biggest change that had occurred in the four months Elphaba and Fiyero had been living together in the Emerald City was the third occupant of the apartment. Kefir was a lovable, beautiful, affectionate dog that Elphaba had found lost and starving in the streets one cold night in early October, only two weeks before Galinda's visit. She had insisted on giving him a good meal, a clean bill of health, and a warm place to sleep and Fiyero had known immediately that the dog was here to stay.

He was a beautiful tawny coloured little animal, and as Fiyero had watched Elphaba fuss over him that first night, it had reminded him of the day with the Lion Cub. So, Fiyero had begun calling him Kefir, an old Vinkun name meaning 'lion cub' and it had stuck.

One day in November, Fiyero got home late. He was surprised to see Elphaba sitting on their bed in the dark.

"Fae?" he asked cautiously, entering the room slowly.

He turned on the light and noticed she had an odd expression on her face. "Elphaba?"

She met his eyes when he kneeled down in front of her. "I got a letter today. It was waiting at the front door when I got home from the orphanage."

"Who from?"

"Nessa."

Fiyero's eyes widened hopefully. Nessa had been unable to write directly to her sister since leaving Shiz, instead all communication had been via Boq.

"Your father changed his mind? He's letting you talk to Nessa?"

For all that Fiyero hated Frex, he knew how much Elphaba had missed her sister.

Elphaba's mouth quirked slightly and she shook her head.

"Fiyero, my father's dead."

Fiyero was stunned into silence. "What? What happened?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. "I- I don't know. Nessa couldn't say… I think she must be in shock or something. The letter made almost no sense."

Her heart ached for her little sister, wondering if she was okay, if she was alone and how she had discovered the news.

"How do you feel?" Fiyero asked softly.

Elphaba ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know," she burst out in frustration. "I mean…. He kicked me out of home, he fractured three of my ribs, he kept me away from Nessa… you know what my childhood, my whole _life _was like, Yero."

"I know," Fiyero murmured.

"But… he was my father," Elphaba continued. "I just… I don't know. I just feel… numb. And Nessa, I don't know if she's okay. I don't know what happened, or if she's alone, or if something really bad happened and she was injured too. I don't know anything!"

Fiyero took her hands in his and rubbed them soothingly. "Ok, ok," he comforted her. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to go to Amala and my captain, tell them what's happened. I want you to pack us each a bag, okay? We'll leave for Munchkinland first thing in the morning. Why don't you write a note to Galinda as well, and express post it? I'm sure she'd want to know as well."

Elphaba took a deep breath and gave a small nod. "Ok. Thank you," she whispered and leaned forward to kiss him.

Fiyero smiled and held her tightly for a moment before releasing her. "It's what I'm here for, Fae."

He turned back just before he left. "What do you want to do with Kefir? See if Amala will mind him staying at the orphanage while we're gone?"

Elphaba paused and shook her head as the little dog in question came scampering into the room.

"No. Let's take him with us. Nessa will love him," she decided and Fiyero nodded.

Fortunately, Amala and Fiyero's captain were both understanding of the circumstances, and had no issues with the couple leaving at the last moment. The whole journey from the Emerald City to Munchkinland, Elphaba was tense and impatient to get to Nessa and learn what had happened.

Boq met them at the front door.

"Boq! Oh, thank Oz you're here!" Elphaba sighed in relief, surprising the Munchkin boy by hugging him tightly.

"How's Nessa? Is she okay? Where is she?"

Boq grimaced slightly. "She's… upset. She's very shaken by what happened."

"What _did _happen?" Fiyero asked him.

"Where is she?" Elphaba repeated at the same time, more insistently and Boq pointed.

"In the living room."

Elphaba entered the room slowly and sighed to see her sister, completely dressed in black, sitting in her chair by the window, looking over the back garden. Her face was pale, drawn and tear-stained.

"Nessie?"

Nessa whipped her head around, saw her sister and promptly burst into tears. "Fabala!"

Elphaba hurriedly drew her little sister into a warm hug and held her sister as she cried.

"Shhh," she murmured soothingly, laying her head atop of her sister's and rubbing her back.

Fiyero watched sadly as Elphaba tried to comfort her little sister- the only family, he realised in that moment, that she had left. Well, blood family, he amended. They both knew there was more than one kind of family.

"Nessie, can you tell me what happened?"

Nessa choked on a sob and shook her head wordlessly. To the surprise of both Elphaba and Fiyero, Boq stepped forward and tightly took hold of Nessa's hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb.

Elphaba was completely stunned by this intimate gesture. Eventually, Nessa cried herself into submission and Elphaba could see her sister was exhausted, and she wondered if Nessa had slept since their father's death.

"Come on, Nessie. Why don't you have a rest?" she suggested softly.

Nessa shook her head. "No. I have too much to do… plans have to be made."

"I can handle that," Elphaba assured her and Nessa knew her sister was right.

"Ok," she agreed quietly.

Elphaba wheeled her sister in her room and helped her into bed, quickly falling into the familiar routine.

"Fabala? I'm so glad you came," Nessa whispered sleepily as Elphaba tucked her in.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well… you and Father…"

Elphaba sighed. "I came for you, Nessa."

"But you still came."

When Elphaba left her sister's room, she returned to the living room where Fiyero was introducing Boq to Kefir.

"So," she announced her presence, leaning against the doorframe. "Where do you want to start? With my father, or my sister?"

Boq pretended not to understand. "Nessa's been devastated. My mom and I are making sure she eats, but she's not sleeping very well."

Elphaba smirked. "And you know that how?"

The Munchkin flushed. "I- I er…"

Elphaba strode over to him, and leaned down into his personal space, her face hard. "My sister is a gentle, loving girl who is in a lot of pain right now. Anything to do with me aside, she doted on our father and he adored her. She's already been hurt by you once, when she was led to believe you cared about her for any reason beyond wanting to impress Galinda. You break her heart again, and I won't let her talk me out of breaking your nose again. Understood?"

Boq paled and Fiyero supressed a grin.

"I- I… yes," he managed to splutter out and Elphaba leaned back, satisfied as she took a seat.

"Good. Now, what happened to Frex?"

Boq grimaced. "It was awful. Everyone in Munchkinland is talking about it."

"Boq!" Elphaba cried in exasperation. "_What _happened?"

He took a deep breath. "He was out in Upper Applerue six days ago," he began.

"What is Upper Applerue?" Fiyero asked.

"It's the closest thing Munchkinland has to a mountain range," Elphaba explained. "It's up near the Glikkus border. Go on, Boq."

"It was some kind of business… Nessa didn't know the specifics, but he was away overnight. While he was there, it rained."

"Ok," Elphaba prodded as Boq paused.

"There was a rockslide as he was coming back through," Boq continued quietly. "A boulder hit the carriage and knocked it down a hill. Your father… Frex, was thrown from the carriage and landed on a fallen tree branch."

Boq's wording was peculiar and it took Elphaba a moment to understand what he was saying.

"He was impaled on a tree branch?"

Boq winced and nodded. "Yes. Through the stomach. The- the coroner said he would have bled out… slowly."

"And the carriage driver?" Fiyero asked.

"Died on impact from the boulder. When they didn't return as expected, Nessa grew worried. We sent out search parties and… found them. Four days ago."

Fiyero watched Elphaba carefully. She was paler than usual and very still.

Abruptly, she rose to her feet and left the room. They heard her leave through the front door and walk away.

"Should you go after her?" Boq asked in concern, but Fiyero shook her head, scratching Kefir behind the ears as he replied.

"No. She wants her space right now."

**AN. Yeah, I hate Frex, in case you couldn't tell. **


	30. Chapter 30

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. I liked this chapter because I got to fit WoO references in there, from my favourite part, the Munchkinland sequence. Apart from the Scarecrow, it was the thing I've loved most since I first saw the movie when I was 5. Finding out the Scarecrow was actually Fiyero was an amazing moment for me- it made so much sense! There's also a reference to "Falling In" (the prequel to this, in case anyone forgot or hasn't read it).**

**And I'm glad you were all satisfied with Frex's death... and I'm going to say I REALLY like the end scene of this chapter. **

**And yes, I'm posting a little earlier than usual. Partly because tomorrow is going to be such a hectic day I'm not sure when I'd get time to post and didn't want to keep you waiting; and partly because I'm expecting to get an assignment back tomorrow that apparently many people failed, so I'm stressing and if I did fail, it would be nice to have reviews to cheer me up.**

**30**

Elphaba took a deep breath of fresh air as she exited the Munchkinland Council's offices in Munchkin City. Although surprised to see her, Fidel had given her his condolences and personally escorted her to the coroner's office, where she had viewed Frex's body.

The coroner, who Elphaba had always found to be a very blunt man, who had never supported Frex nor approved of Elphaba; wasted no time in telling her how her father had died. He had most likely hit his head during the fall and been knocked out, so he was not conscious for the actual impalement, she was assured.

But he had lain there dying for a long time, and he was certain that Frex had been conscious for the final few hours of his life, but too weak to do anything.

"At the insistence of your sister," he told her. "We've had to verify it legally, to see if he is morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead. As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined him. And he's not only merely dead, he's really most sincerely dead."

Elphaba had stiffly thanked both the coroner and the mayor, not sparing her father's body a second glance as she left.

Not even thinking about it, she walked back to the house and headed straight for the kitchen.

"Fae?"

She jumped, startled and turned to face Fiyero. "Sorry, Yero. I didn't see you," she said tiredly.

He smiled sympathetically. "Where'd you go?"

"Coroner's office," she sighed and he looked surprised. "I just… I had to see for myself," she explained.

Fiyero nodded. "And?"

"And…" Elphaba trailed off and was quiet for a long time. "I still don't know. I wish… I wish I could say I felt nothing. That I hate him and I'm glad he's dead. But then, I think of Nessa… and I can't. Why can't I do that? Because I hated him for pretty much all the time he was alive, and I'm not going to feel sorry for him now because he's dead. So why can't I just feel nothing?"

Fiyero sighed and wrapped her in his arms. "Because you love Nessa. And your father always did everything he could to give her the best life possible. And … as awful, as cold and as much of a bastard as he was to you, he was your father."

Elphaba sighed and looked up at him. "I don't miss him. And Nessa aside, I can't say I'm sorry he's dead. Fidel was there… the Mayor? He was telling me how after the funeral, we'll have to read the will, and Nessa will be sworn in as Governor. She's only twenty- one, Yero… and now she has to be Governor? Whilst she's still grieving…"

Fiyero grimaced sadly. He couldn't imagine having to take over the throne whilst mourning for his father, but he knew it was a situation which could very well occur one day.

"Nessa will be a good Governor. She's been trained well by your father, and I'm sure Fidel and the other officials will assist her… and Boq. Don't forget Boq."

Elphaba laughed. "Oz, Boq! Nessa and Boq! I can't believe that."

Fiyero grinned. "I was talking to him about it while you were gone. It's been three months already. He said they became closer because Nessa was having such a hard time during the summer with you gone."

Elphaba snorted. "I don't know what it says about me if she's replaced my companionship with _Boq_."

"It means Nessa missed her sister, and Boq was there," Fiyero said gently. "But… I don't really know what happened last time, because I'd just arrived at Shiz and all that…. But he genuinely cares for her, Fae."

"He'd better. I wasn't joking about breaking his nose," Elphaba muttered and Fiyero kissed her with a smile.

He didn't doubt that for a second.

The funeral for Governor Frexspar Thropp was held two days later. It was well-attended by most of Munchkinland- after all, Governor Thropp had ruled for over twenty-five years. And of course, what was a funeral without gossip? It didn't escape the attention of many mourners that Elphaba did not shed a tear throughout the service, although Nessarose sobbed quietly, clutching her sister's hand.

Galinda had arrived in Munchkinland that morning. Although she had liked Frex, well about as much as Elphaba and Fiyero had liked him, she was there for the same reason they were- to support and comfort Nessa. But Galinda was horrified by the way Frex had died, and equally ecstatic about the news of Boq and Nessa's relationship.

When Elphaba had questioned her sister about it, her first night in Munchkinland, Nessa blushed.

"Boq's always been a dear friend," she said slowly. "But when you left… I was so lonely, Fabala. And he was the only way I could contact you, and… it just happened."

"Are you happy with him?"

Nessa nodded and Elphaba smiled. "OK, then."

The wake was only for government officials, Elphaba had refused to allow the general public into the house. Fiyero felt a combination of pride and uneasiness at how Elphaba had slid into her old role and routines. She had made all the funeral arrangements, attended to Nessa's needs and made sure the household was still running smoothly. She would also stand by Nessa the next day at the reading of their father's will and as Nessa was sworn in as Governor of Munchkinland.

Eventually, Fiyero managed to escape the house and slipped into the back garden. Elphaba had disappeared, and whilst he wasn't worried by that, he wondered where she was. As he sighed wearily, something caught his eye and made him grin.

"I'm getting a sense of déjà vu," he said quietly, standing at the base of the tree and looking up at Elphaba perched on a branch, one emerald leg dangling down.

She looked down and smiled faintly. "I'm not giving up my camouflage this time- no matter who may be watching from the windows."

"Fair enough," Fiyero replied and after a moment's pause, promptly swung himself up into the branches beside her.

Elphaba smirked at him. "Are you sure it's proper for you to disappear with me up a tree, Prince Fiyero?" she teased.

Fiyero grinned. "It's probably more improper than it would have been _before_ we were dating, not that it matters. I'll have you know Miss Thropp, I used to have quite the scandalacious reputation."

She laughed. "Yes, as I recall."

"So what are you thinking about up here?" he asked her seriously and she sighed.

"I just couldn't take any more people offering their condolences, saying they were sorry for my loss. It was Nessa's loss, not mine… is she okay?"

"She's with Galinda."

"Ok. As long as she's not alone with a bunch of… never mind. I'm just glad she's with a friend. Are there many people left inside?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Maybe a dozen or so?"

Elphaba nodded. "Good."

"So, are you sure Nessa's alright with us leaving the day after tomorrow?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba nodded again. "Yes, I talked to her. She understands that I've got school and you've got training… Glin's going to stay for a few more days. And she has Boq… and Boq's mother. She's well taken care of here."

They sat up in the tree for a few more minutes, before Galinda suddenly appeared beneath the tree.

"Elphie! What are you doing up there? Come down! There's people looking for you!"

Elphaba groaned. "Do I have to?" she moaned and Fiyero chuckled.

"Come on, Fae."

He clambered out of the tree and landed next to Galinda, who shook her head as Elphaba gracefully and expertly followed him.

"That is so unladylike, Elphaba," Galinda scolded her and Elphaba snorted.

"Oz forbid I should act in any way that should be perceived as unladylike," she rolled her eyes.

Galinda smiled despite herself and tucked her arm into Elphaba's. "Come on, Nessa's tiring, I think."

Once inside, it didn't take Elphaba long to smooth talk the last remaining mourners into paying their final respects and leaving, unabashedly using Nessa's physical and emotional strength as an excuse.

Boq's mother took the most convincing to leave, she insisted on helping them with the clean-up.

"Really, I'd rather do it myself," Elphaba assured her. "Keep busy, you know?"

As she had assumed, that excuse worked a charm and her face softened. "Of course, dear. I'll leave you alone. If either of you girls need anything-"

"We know where to find you," Elphaba cut her off.

Once she'd left, Elphaba helped Nessa into bed to rest. Galinda offered to begin cleaning the kitchen. And Boq offered for the job both girls were reluctant to do, for very different reasons- beginning to pack up Frex's things.

Elphaba accepted gratefully and he headed upstairs as Fiyero and Elphaba began cleaning up the living room.

"Thank Oz it's over," Elphaba sighed. "I just can't handle anyone else telling me they're 'sorry for my loss'. I mean…If you think about it, I actually gained from this."

"How so?" Fiyero tilted his head.

"Well, I can talk to Nessa now, without having to send messages through Boq. And I won't need to worry about whether my behaviour is appropriate for a Governor's daughter… a Governor's sister isn't quite the same status."

"Not quite," Fiyero chuckled but his brow furrowed as she stopped where she was stacking empty plates. "Fae?"

She turned and looked at him, seemingly faintly anxious as she sat on the couch. "Is… is it going to bother anyone back in the Vinkus? I mean, you're a _prince. _I'm sure people expect you to marry a princess, or a duchess or someone with status. When I was a Governor's daughter… even if I _was_ green, and… _me_, at least I had that. But now… I have nothing. I'm nothing."

Fiyero gaped at her for a moment. He literally just stood there and stared at her with his mouth gaping open, not saying anything. After a few seconds, it really started to creep Elphaba out.

"Er, Yero?"

Fiyero dropped the trash bag he was holding, and strode across the room. Elphaba was taken by surprise as he leaned down, and kissed her so fiercely it made her dizzy, pressing her against the back of the couch.

"You are not _nothing_," he growled pulling away a fraction, his eyes dark with intensity. "Oz, Fae… how many times do I have to tell you… what do I have to do to make you understand… You. Are. Everything. Your father, your birth, _did_ not and _does_ not determine your worth as the woman I love and the future queen of the Vinkus. I don't give a damn if people in the Vinkus have an opinion on what sort of person I should marry. I _am _going to marry you, and to hell with the expectations of everyone else. Got it?"

Elphaba reached up and kissed him hungrily. Fiyero firmly pressed himself down further against her, deepening the kiss and repositioning them so they were lying down on the couch. Fiyero slowly slid his hands up underneath her dress and she whimpered softly, entwining her fingers in the short hair at the back of his head.

"Elphie, Boq just asked- Oh, for the love of Oz!"

Elphaba and Fiyero sprang apart with a gasp, and Fiyero swore under his breath as he turned his head to see Galinda and Boq in the doorway from the kitchen.

"This is exactly why I _don't _miss sharing a room with you," Galinda addressed Elphaba, and Boq started, looking at her in surprise.

"Boq wanted to know if you had some boxes."

Elphaba quickly pushed Fiyero off her and sat up, smoothing her hair and fixing her dress.

"Uh, there might be some in the cellar. I'll check," she said hastily, and left the room.

Fiyero carefully avoided the gazes of both Galinda and Boq.

"So… this was a common occurrence back at Shiz?" Boq asked awkwardly.

"Not as often as it sounds," Fiyero replied quickly, glaring at Galinda.

"But far more often than I would have liked," Galinda muttered, glaring back at him.

Fiyero quickly stood up and grabbed the trash bag he had dropped, continuing to clean the living room and steadfastly avoiding the blonde's gaze until she'd left the room.


	31. Chapter 31

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Surprise! I had a really great day today, so thought I'd share the love with chapter 31! First of all, thank you to everyone who wished me the best for the assignment i was worried about - yes, i did pass! Hooray! I also got an email today confirming that once i actually finish uni at the end of the year, i will be a qualified high school english and history teacher! **

**This has been my dream since i was 7, so to have it finally (almost) become a reality... the only thing better than this feeling is seeing wicked. **

**And then I went to the school i'll be doing my prac teaching at next month and met my supervising teacher and had a look at what exactly i'll be teaching! Plus, it's a sunny warm day here in Oz to remind us that summer is right around the corner!**

**Plus, Glee is back today and waking up to find so many beautiful reviews was the best way to start the morning! **

**31**

The next morning found Nessarose and Elphaba in the office of the only barrister in Munchkinland, waiting for the reading of their father's will. Fiyero had wanted to be there too, for moral support, but Elphaba had only rolled her eyes and assured him she was perfectly capable of handling it by herself.

She had however, promised him that he, Boq and Galinda could meet them in Fidel's office to witness Nessa being sworn in as Governor of Munchkinland.

Elphaba expected the reading of the will to be fairly straightforward. Nessa would be named successor as Governor and granted possession of the house and contents. Elphaba wasn't expecting anything and there was nothing her father could have left her that she would want.

She and Nessa were sitting in comfortable silence when the barrister entered.

"Miss Elphaba, Miss Nessarose. Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologised, sitting behind the desk.

"That's perfectly alright," Elphaba replied.

"Now, your father's will was last updated in September, so this is the most recent copy. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"No," both girls replied.

The barrister cleared his throat and opened the folder in front of him, beginning to read.

"I, Frexspar Thropp, hereby declare that this is my last will and testament and that I hereby revoke, cancel and annul all wills and codicils previously made by me either jointly or severally. I declare that I am of legal age to make this will and of sound mind and that this last will and testament expresses my wishes without undue influence or duress…"

Elphaba tuned out the legal talk, if it weren't for Nessa, Elphaba wouldn't have come. As she had said to Fiyero over breakfast that morning,

"I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing he did after graduation was write me out of the will… if I was ever in it to begin with."

Elphaba sensed Nessa straightening beside her and forced herself to pay attention.

"… I bequeath unto the persons named below, if he or she survives me by 30 (thirty) days, the following property: to my beloved daughter, Nessarose Hana Thropp, I leave all of my estate, property and effects, whether movable or immovable, wheresoever situated and of whatsoever nature. I also name her as my successor to the office and role of Governor of Munchkinland, a role which I know she will fulfil and honour with pride, grace and dignity, as she has in all matters of her life."

Nessa stifled a sob and Elphaba was slightly comforted by the fact that at least Nessa had these final words as she grieved for Frex.

"To my other daughter, Elphaba Melena Thropp-"

Elphaba was stunned, she had literally not expected to have been included in the will.

"If I should die before her twenty-fifth birthday or her marriage, I hereby leave the contents of the small wooden box that is in the top of my closet, which in accordance to the last will and testament of her mother and my late wife, Melena, is to be hers on the occasion of her marriage or twenty-fifth birthday, whichever comes first. If I should live past whichever occasion arises first, she should consider her inheritance already in her possession."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. Her father had left her a box? That her mother had left for her?

Nessa looked surprised too, as she met her sister's gaze.

There were a few more minor details after that, but Elphaba couldn't focus on any of it. She was still oddly quiet as she and Nessa left and headed over to Fidel's office, where Boq, Galinda and Fiyero met them.

"Fae, you okay?" Fiyero asked her quietly.

She sighed. "Later," she murmured and Fiyero nodded, taking her hand.

In the presence of Elphaba, Fiyero, Boq and Galinda, Nessarose was sworn in by Fidel as the Governor of Munchkinland. Elphaba felt a sense of pride as she watched her sister, and a sense of relief that it was Nessa taking on the role and not her.

It was the last thing Nessa wanted to celebrate, given the circumstances, so the five of them returned to the house. Once there, Elphaba headed straight upstairs. Fiyero, catching the significant glance Nessa shot him, followed quietly.

He found her in Frex's bedroom and paused.

"Fae?"

Elphaba turned and smiled slightly at him. "It turns out, my father did leave me something… sort of."

Fiyero frowned. "What does that mean?"

Elphaba went and opened Frex's closet. "Give me a boost?"

Fiyero obediently lifted her up, still not understanding. When he let her down again, per her request, she was holding a small box in her hands.

"Apparently," she explained. "This box was left to me in my mother's will. I was supposed to be given it either on my twenty-fifth birthday or my wedding day- whichever came first. Frex's will stated that if he was to die after I was given the box, I should consider myself as already having my inheritance."

"So, this box is from your mother?" Fiyero asked in surprise and she nodded.

"Yeah… do you think I could open it?" she asked him uncertainly. "I mean, technically I'm not supposed to have it yet."

"Fae, do you really want to wait until you're twenty-five?" Fiyero asked pointedly and she chuckled.

"No," she admitted. The thought of having something from her mother was too huge to wait over a year for.

"Do you want to be alone?" he asked hesitantly and she paused.

"Stay," she said softly and Fiyero nodded.

"Ok."

Somewhat nervously, she sat down on the bare bed and lifted the lid on the box. Inside was only a few objects- a small jewellery box, a photo frame, and an envelope reading "Elphaba" in a flowing cursive script.

Elphaba first reached for the photo frame, her gaze wondrous. It contained a photo of Elphaba with Melena. She looked to be about two or three and she was sitting on her mother's lap, Melena's arms wrapped securely around her young daughter.

"I- I didn't think there were any photos of Momma and me," she said softly. "I've never seen this before."

Fiyero examined the photo carefully, smiling at the image of young Elphaba.

"You have your Mom's eyes," he observed and Elphaba tilted her head quizzically.

"Really? You think?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Fae, they're exactly the same."

Elphaba smiled. Carefully placing the frame beside her, she lifted out the jewellery box and opened it to find an antique bracelet, made of silver with coloured crystals hanging from it.

Elphaba drew in her breath, and Fiyero looked at her in faint alarm. "What?"

"I remember this!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I remember… she used to wear it all the time… I used to play with the crystals… catch them in the light..."

Her brow furrowed slightly in thought. "I think… she got it from her mother. A family heirloom… there was a story behind it, she used to tell it to me like a bed time story… but I don't remember it."

Fiyero took it from her gently. "Here, Fae."

He carefully fastened the bracelet around her wrist and she held it up critically to study the effect.

"I wish I could remember the story," she sighed sadly and Fiyero paused uncertainly.

"Maybe- maybe it's in the letter."

With a jolt, Elphaba's gaze was drawn to the envelope in the box.

"I don't even think I've seen her handwriting before… she did her _E_'s like mine…"

She was stalling and Fiyero knew why. "Fae, read it. She wouldn't have left you these things for no reason."

Elphaba steeled herself, before resolutely opening the envelope and unfolding the letter within.

"To my little Fabala,

I wish I knew where to start… I hope you never have to read this letter, that instead I will be able to tell you all of this to your face. You are three now, and currently sitting at my feet and drawing a picture for your as of yet unborn brother or sister. I am five and a half months pregnant, and you have been just fascinated over the idea that there is a baby in Momma's stomach.

As I said, I hope you never have to read this letter. But I know the risks of taking the milk flowers, so I can't help but be paranoid and prepare this- just in case.

You are going to be a wonderful big sister, Elphaba, I can just tell. You already do anything you can to help me prepare for the baby and when I've having horrendible morning sickness, somehow you are always there with a little hug and a kiss, which makes me feel so much better and remember exactly why the symptoms of pregnancy are worth enduring.

I was thinking last night, before I decided I would write this letter, about your future. As much as the thought of you growing up saddens me, I can't wait to see the amazing young woman you will grow into.

If you are reading this… then it means that I am no longer with you, and I'm sorry for that, Fabala. And that means that this is either your twenty-fifth birthday or your wedding day. Either way, it means the bracelet I wear, the one you've always admired since you were a baby, is now yours. It is tradition in my family to pass it down from mother to daughter, on whichever of the aforementioned occasions falls first. Mine was my wedding day.

I feel awful telling you that your father does not pretend to presume that you will ever get married; your father, for all his good qualities, is not a romantic and is incapable of thinking that any man could not be prejudiced against your skin colour and fall in love with the qualities I already know you possess, my darling daughter- your good heart and your compassionate nature.

But I know, as mothers do, that one day you will meet someone and fall in love. I can only hope that he will love you unconditionally, protect you, and be your rock in life- both when you need him and when you think you don't.

I know you already, Fabala- even at three, you are good at closing yourself off to people. You seem to instinctively know that your father… well, I won't go into that. That is not the purpose of this letter. I think about the little girl I see before me now, and wonder how much you will change and what the future holds for you.

Somehow, I doubt the innocence in your eyes and the childlike way you view people and the world, always seeing the good in them, will last. People, especially Munchkins, are horrendibly prejudiced against anything or anyone who is different. And although you are only three, you seem to know that too. There's been many times your father and I have had company over for dinner, and I've found you hiding at the top of the stairs or once, in my closet, but usually somewhere you can see, but not be seen.

You have an uncanny ability to read people, my sweet girl. You know when we meet people if they are being sincere or not when they coo over how beautiful you are and how lovely it is to meet you, and I've seen how that affects the way you respond to them.

But the purpose of this letter… as I've said, I know the risks of taking the milk flowers. I'm willing to take that risk, but the one thing I am afraid of, is that something will happen and you won't remember me and I hate to think of what your childhood and life might be like if that happens.

Perhaps leaving this letter for you so late in your life is a mistake, perhaps I should tell your father to give this to you much earlier in your life. But I want you to know, Elphaba, that I love you. I am so proud to be your mother, and to have you as my daughter.

You are so strong. I cannot say that even the first three years of your life have been easy, and I'm sure you will know the answer as to why that is, but you never let it get you down. I hope you carry that strength with you for all your life.

I love you, my Fabala. All I wish for you is that you know that you are loved. I hope that you do take the chance on someone and on yourself and experience all of the joy, and even the pain, that love brings.

I promise you, it is worth it.

All my love,

Momma."

Elphaba silently handed the letter to Fiyero after she'd finished reading it. Fiyero read it through himself, and he didn't have to look at Elphaba to know what is would mean to her to read those things, a solid assurance of her mother's love for her. He couldn't help but smile as he read Melena's words, describing Elphaba at three. When he'd finished reading, he pulled her gently into his arms and held her comfortingly.

"I think she would have liked you," Elphaba murmured softly against his chest.

Fiyero grinned down at her. "How do you know she didn't send me to you? Maybe it was fate."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, he knew perfectly well she didn't believe in all of that nonsense. "Don't be ridiculous," she scolded gently, pulling away.

Fiyero laughed gently. "I love you, Fae."

She leaned over and kissed him gently. "I love you."

Elphaba carefully returned the letter to the box with the other items and placed it with her luggage to take back with her to the City the next day. Then she lifted up her arm to re-examine the bracelet on her arm. Although she'd owned the green glass bottle that had been Melena's for as long as she could remember, and still had a few of her mother's dresses in her possession, Elphaba couldn't help but cherish the bracelet more than anything else.

Melena had intended to pass this down to her, per the tradition "to pass it down from mother to daughter". To Elphaba, it symbolised more than the bottle or the dresses had. This wasn't proof that Melena had existed, but proof that she was her mother and she had loved her. And to Elphaba, that proof was priceless.

**AN. I wanted Elphaba to have something nice from her mother. Because she's been through a lot in this story and I thought she needed a break. **


	32. Chapter 32

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. For those who want perspective, I think Kate Middleton's train was about 2 meters. Princess Diana's was about 7. In feet, that means Kate's was 6ft and Diana's was 25ft.**

**And for the ballroom, I was kind of picturing how the Great Hall looks for the Yule Ball in the 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' movie, but with pink instead of white. You know, coz it's Galinda. **

**And this is like one of my favourite chapters... as is most of the story from this point on. And because it's my favourite, i want to take a sec to thank Julia-Caesar, who is very impatient for chapter 36, but still reads and reviews every chapter in between even though she'd already read most of it up until chapter 28. Love you Jules! xxx**

**32**

As soon as the orphanage school closed for Lurlinemas, Elphaba and Fiyero once again packed their bags and headed this time to the Upland's estate, for the momentous occasion when Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, would become Mrs Galinda Forsyth of the Vinkus. They left Kefir with Amala and the children at the orphanage for this trip, they would be gone for three weeks this time.

After the wedding, they would head to Kiamo Ko for Lurlinemas and stay for two weeks. And then Fiyero was dreading what came after. Not long after they had returned from Munchkinland, Ibrahim had written to his son. He was genuinely apologetic when he said that the time had come for Fiyero to start his royal duties in the Vinkus, and he could see no way to further delay.

That meant that after Lurlinemas, Elphaba would be returning to the Emerald City alone. She was taking it a lot better than Fiyero, assuring him she would keep herself busy at the orphanage and he could always come to the City for weekends. Actually, Elphaba was relying on keeping herself busy, because she wasn't looking forward to coming home to an empty apartment each night.

"You'll have Kefir," Fiyero had comforted her half-heartedly when she'd confessed this and she'd rolled her eyes.

"Yero, that is _not_ the same thing."

"Thank Oz for that," he'd grinned, pleased with her answer and kissed her soundly.

Fiyero was comforted that she'd be returning to the Vinkus during the summer, and as she'd said, he could go to the City for weekends. But it would not be the same as having her there with him all the time, and they both knew it.

"We'll have to do what Galinda and Micah did for pretty much their entire relationship," Elphaba laughed. "And write letters."

Fiyero pouted. "That was great for them but they weren't missing out on anything," he whined and she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Is it all about sex with you?"

"Partly," he admitted sheepishly, even he trailed his hand up her green thigh.

Elphaba kissed him softly.

"We'll manage," she assured him and Fiyero smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

As soon as they arrived at the Upland's, Galinda pounced on her best friend with all of the last minute wedding details. And Micah found it amazing how they could be in the same house, yet hardly see one another.

Fiyero snorted when his friend told him this. "This is nothing. I've had Fae avoid me successfully for two days, whilst having a sprained ankle and being confined to the house."

Micah was startled. "What? When was this?"

"The summer we started dating… before we were actually dating."

"When you were staying with her?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. It's impressive, right?"

"Two days?" Micah asked sceptically and he nodded again.

"Yes. Ask Fae if you don't believe me."

So the next time they saw each other, at dinner that night, Micah turned to Elphaba.

"Elphaba, Fiyero told me something about you today and I don't believe it."

"No, I didn't eat grass as a child," Elphaba replied immediately and looked innocently at Fiyero as he looked up and scowled at her.

"Not what you were talking about?" she asked innocently and Galinda giggled.

Micah grinned. "Not quite, but it's good to know. No, I was commenting how we're all in the same house, yet we somehow never see each other."

Galinda sighed. "I know, I hate it."

"And then Fiyero told me something about the summer he and his parents stayed with you."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose. "Oh?" she said, looking at Fiyero suspiciously, who gave her his own best innocent face.

Micah's grin widened. "Yes. Is it true you avoided him for two days with a sprained ankle and being unable to leave the house?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes at Fiyero before answering. "Yes," she admitted.

"Told you," Fiyero muttered to Micah.

Micah was both impressed and amazed. "How in the name of Oz did you do that?"

She shrugged. "Easy. I just… stayed in my room and pretended to be asleep whenever he came and checked on me."

Fiyero gaped at her. "You weren't really sleeping?"

"Of course not. I had a sprained ankle, I wasn't ill. And before you even say it, my concussion was fine by then," she added before he could bring it up.

Over the next few days, wedding guests began arriving. Boq arrived with Nessa the day before the wedding, and Elphaba was pleased to see her sister seemed to be settling into her role as Governor with ease.

The day of the wedding dawned much too slowly for Galinda's liking. It had snowed the night before, but today the sky was clear, which Galinda took as a good sign.

"So, are you going to let me in on this 'plan' you have so you can see Fiyero's reaction to my dress?" Elphaba asked her best friend.

Galinda giggled. "No. It's much more fun this way!"

"Fun for who?" Elphaba grumbled.

They were in Galinda's bedroom, where they would get ready before the carriage arrived. The ceremony was being held in the little Gilikin church where Galinda's own parents had been married, and that was where the carriage would take them when it arrived. Gilderoy, sparing no expense for the wedding of his only daughter, had then booked an exquisite ballroom for the reception.

Galinda had insisted on helping Elphaba get dressed before getting ready herself, and played the 'it's-my-wedding-day' card when Elphaba had initially hesitated.

With a roll of her eyes, Elphaba conceded and allowed Galinda to do her makeup and her hair, which she pinned back and left hanging down her back in curls.

"Ok, now you can put your dress on!" she said excitedly when she'd pronounced it perfect.

Galinda had kept her promise and was not making Elphaba wear pink. Instead, she had picked a deep midnight blue silk. It was one shouldered and flowed simply down to the floor, not quite clinging to Elphaba's figure but not so loose as to hide it.

Studying her reflection critically, Elphaba smiled and hugged Galinda tightly.

"Is that for not making you wear pink?" Galinda laughed emotionally and Elphaba chuckled.

"Partly. But mostly because you're my best friend, and I love you…. And I'm so happy for you. Thank you for asking me to be your maid of honour, Glin."

Galinda stifled a sob as she hugged Elphaba once again. "I love you too, Elphie."

Galinda's plan was actually quite simple, and rather brilliant if she did say so herself. Micah and Fiyero were getting ready in a little room above the church, and it was only an hour before the ceremony when Gilderoy, who Galinda had enlisted as an accomplice in her plan, knocked on the door.

"How's it going son?" he asked Micah, who looked quite nervous.

"Fine, thank you, sir. And you?"

Gilderoy sighed. "I wish I could say we had no problems. The carriage driver that is supposed to collect the girls and bring them here has the flu and there's no replacement," he explained.

"I'll have to go get them myself, which will delay things slightly. I'm supposed to be getting my mother as well," he explained.

As Galinda had known he would, Fiyero grabbed for the opportunity to see Elphaba.

"I can go get the girls, sir," he hastily offered and Gilderoy smiled.

"That would be a huge help Fiyero. Can Micah spare you?"

Micah rolled his eyes as Fiyero looked at him, his eyes only just short of pleading. "Go ahead, you lovesick moron. How are you going to cope when Elphaba's back in the City?" he demanded.

Fiyero grinned. "I'm probably not. Thanks, man."

"Yeah, some best man you are," Micah grumbled but Fiyero was already halfway out the door.

Fiyero drove the carriage the twenty minute drive to the Upland's home and let himself in, hastily taking the stairs to Galinda's room.

"That must be the carriage driver," Galinda said excitedly when there came the knock on the door.

"Can you get it please, Elphie?"

Elphaba nodded and made a final adjustment to Galinda's veil, which was heavy and lacy. "Sure."

Galinda watched eagerly as Elphaba crossed the room and opened the bedroom door. And Galinda felt a thrill of pleasure and had to supress a giggle as Fiyero's eyes widened at the sight of his girlfriend.

"Wow," he breathed, drinking her in and Elphaba blushed.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Uh- the carriage driver had the flu… so I offered to come get you," Fiyero explained, still unable to take his eyes off her.

"Oh really?" Elphaba turned to Galinda with a pointed stare, which the bride ignored.

"Are you ready?" Fiyero asked.

"Yes!" Galinda replied confidently. "Let's go."

Elphaba turned and handed Galinda her bouquet, before picking up her own smaller one and grabbing the matching wrap that went with her dress.

"You look beautiful, Glin," Fiyero greeted her, kissing her cheek and Galinda beamed.

"Thank you. Shall we?"

Elphaba and Fiyero helped Galinda navigate her train and veil out of the house and into the carriage. Before Elphaba could follow, Fiyero stopped her and kissed her gently.

"You look so amazingly gorgeous,"

Elphaba blushed again, but smiled. "So do you,"

Fiyero grinned and kissed her again, until Galinda cleared her throat pointedly.

"Er, guys? I kind of want to get married this century. You guys can make out at the reception, okay? _Thank_ _you_."

Elphaba rolled her eyes as Fiyero laughed and helped her into the carriage.

It amazed Elphaba how calm Galinda was. And her friend looked stunning in her dress. It had a lace bodice and a full skirt with a long train, with flashes of pink in the skirt.

When they arrived at the church, Fiyero helped them both out, and snuck one final kiss from Elphaba before rushing inside to take his place beside Micah.

"So, was your plan worth it?" Elphaba asked her friend and Galinda giggled.

"Absolutely."

Having everyone's eyes on her as she entered the church was incredibly daunting for Elphaba; unlike Galinda, she tried to avoid attention at all costs- which was difficult when you had green skin. As she slowly made her way down the long aisle, she saw a few familiar faces- Kasmira and Ibrahim, Corin, Boq and Nessa. She kept her head high and locked eyes only with Fiyero until she reached the altar.

Kasmira smiled to herself to see her son's face as Elphaba walked towards him, and when she reached out and took his offered hand, Kasmira couldn't help but picture a similar scene with Elphaba dressed in white and felt a lump in her throat. Elphaba finally reached the altar and felt a wave of relief as everyone turned to watch a radiant Galinda enter on her father's arm.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Galinda and Micah in holy matrimony…"

Fiyero found himself unable to concentrate on the words that were being spoken, he couldn't help but watch Elphaba, who was standing beside Galinda and paying close attention to the ceremony. She looked so beautiful, and Fiyero was struck by a feeling of envy for Micah and Galinda. Although he stood by his promise to give Elphaba all the time she needed until she felt ready to marry him, he couldn't deny the fact that he was more than ready to make Elphaba his wife.

He so desperately wanted it to be them before the vicar, speaking their vows, and the image of what Elphaba would look like as a bride was more than enough to distract him. Fiyero had become very good at supressing the question of 'when' he and Elphaba would be married; focusing on the fact that Elphaba did want to marry him and she was more than worth the wait. And yes, he was content and happy with the current state of their relationship… except for the part where he would soon be in the Vinkus whilst she was in the Emerald City; but that didn't stop him from wanting more, to begin the life they were planning together.

One particular note of the ceremony struck Elphaba as she watched her best friend glow as she exchanged her vows with Micah. The vicar was speaking to the couple, and to the guests, very solemnly about the importance of the vows they were making that day.

"Micah and Galinda are here today before you all to share and celebrate their love for one another and to affirm their commitment to each other. Love is the most powerful force on this earth and if you are lucky enough to find that one person you can't live without, I urge you to cherish every moment you have together.

There is an old quote that states '_Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.' _Love is not always easy, but with the right person, the benefits will far outweigh the struggles and hardships."

Instinctively, Elphaba's eyes had snapped to find Fiyero. She found his own eyes on her and he smiled lovingly at her, which she returned.

When Galinda and Micah were pronounced man and wife and Micah had happily "kissed the bride", Elphaba carefully straightened out Galinda's train before taking Fiyero's arm to follow the newlyweds down the aisle.

"How much do you hate Galinda's train?" he murmured to her and she grimaced.

"I'm going to _kill_ her. I've almost stepped on the thing like five times."

Fiyero chuckled.

Finally, after two hours of photographs, the bridal party made their way into the ballroom for the reception. This was where Galinda had made up for the lack of pink so far in the wedding. The entire room was decorated in pale pink with delicate silver icicles.

Elphaba grinned at the look on Fiyero's face. "I did tell you."

"I thought you were exaggerating!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yero, have you ever known me to exaggerate?"

"No," he admitted.

Once you got used to the massive amounts of pink, Fiyero had to admit the affect was quite dazzling. Of course, he was more interested in the food than the décor, but the food proved to be excellent. Galinda had literally spent weeks planning the menu, and it amused Elphaba to see her friend was hardly eating anything.

"Glin, you spent the whole photograph session saying how hungry you were," she laughed to her friend, who sighed blissfully.

"I know… but I'm too happy and excited to eat."

Micah wasn't eating much either, he was becoming increasingly nervous about the prospect of having to dance.

"Micah, you can dance," Fiyero assured him. "You're not Corin. You don't have two left feet."

"I don't want to step on the train," Micah admitted and Elphaba snorted.

"I told you, Glin."

Galinda scowled. "Shut up, Elphie."

Fiyero and Micah looked at them in amusement.

"Did we miss something?" Fiyero asked Elphaba.

"We spent all of July arguing what was a ridiculous length for a train," Elphaba explained. "Think yourself lucky, Micah. This is only two metres long- she originally wanted _seven_. And I still say two is too long."

Galinda rolled her eyes.

Fiyero could confess he was a little disappointed Micah _didn't_ step on Galinda's train during their first dance as man and wife, but he was also grateful Elphaba had talked Galinda out of a train on her own dress.

Elphaba laughed when he admitted that. "It was for my benefit, not yours. The last thing I wanted to do was trip on my own dress as I walked down the aisle."

Fiyero grinned and looked at her, as the final notes swelled and the guests began to applaud. "Shall we?"

Elphaba grimaced slightly, knowing they were expected to join the couple on the dance floor.

"Alright," she agreed.

Fiyero laughed as he stood and offered her his hand once more. "Don't sound so enthusiastic about it, Fae," he teased and she laughed.

Once the formalities were over for the evening, the party kicked in earnestly, and soon the majority of the guests were on the dance floor or mingling. Galinda was in her element, and Micah could only stare at his new wife in awe.

Elphaba was talking to Nessa and Boq a few hours into the night when Fiyero suddenly appeared before her.

"Hey, where'd you disappear to?" she frowned.

"Best man stuff," Fiyero replied vaguely then smiled down at her. "Dance with me, Fae?"

He smiled his most charming smile at her, and although Elphaba rolled her eyes slightly, she nodded.

"Smiling at me like that is not always going to work, you know," she said dryly as he led her onto the dance floor.

"It seems to be so far," he replied cheerfully.

She laughed and relaxed into his arms as they began to dance, placing one hand on his shoulder as he entwined his fingers with hers.

"It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it? Galinda's just glowing," Elphaba said with a fond smile and Fiyero gave a small smile in return.

"Yeah, they both seem really happy," he said softly, feeling that old envy return.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Yero? Are you okay?"

Fiyero kissed her forehead and nodded. "I'm fine, Fae," he assured her.

Elphaba wasn't convinced. She was pretty sure she knew what he was thinking, and hesitated for a moment before deciding to broach the subject, before she lost her nerve.

"So, I was thinking," she said slowly as they danced, choosing to look over Fiyero's shoulder rather than at him as she spoke.

"What about?" Fiyero asked, not finding anything unusual about that. Elphaba was always thinking.

"I've been thinking… a lot in the past few weeks," she admitted.

Now Fiyero was slightly worried. "About what?"

She swallowed nervously, keeping her eyes fixed over his shoulder. "About us. Our future."

"Good things I hope," Fiyero said lightly, his tone teasing, but inside he was anxious.

Elphaba smiled and planted a soft kiss on his shoulder. "Always."

Fiyero relaxed at that, but he was still worried. "So, what thoughts is that brilliant brain of yours churning out?" he asked her softly.

She took a deep breath. "Well… my contract with the orphanage is up next June."

Fiyero nodded. "Yep. A year and a half from now."

"Yeah. I've just been thinking about… after that."

Her eyes flickered to Fiyero's face for a nanosecond, but that was all he needed to understand where she was going with this. Completely stunned, he abruptly stopped moving and Elphaba almost fell over his feet.

"Ow," she gasped as he instinctively steadied her and kept her from falling.

Fiyero kept a tight grip on her hand as he met her gaze.

"Fae, are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked softly, hardly daring to hope.

Elphaba hesitated and swallowed. "I'm saying… I think a year and a half is enough time."

Fiyero opened his mouth, but just as he did the song changed, a faster, louder song, and anything he was going to say was drowned out. He grimaced in frustration and hastily looked around the room, checking if they would be missed in the immediate future.

"Come on," he said brusquely to her, and led her hurriedly from the ballroom.

"Yero, slow down," Elphaba said breathlessly, trying to keep up with him in her heels and long dress, but he didn't lessen his steps.

He led her out of the ballroom, glanced around for a more private area, and pulled her into an alcove off the foyer, pressing her against the wall and gripping her firmly but not too tightly around her upper arms.

"Elphaba, do you mean it?" he asked urgently in the most serious tone of voice Elphaba had ever heard him use.

Elphaba was taken aback by his tone. She looked into his blue eyes and saw the overwhelming light of hope and joy reflected in them and she was only then struck by how important it really was for him to marry her. It was enough to almost bring her to tears and she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat as she tried to hold the sudden tears back.

"Yes, I mean it," she replied softly.

She raised her hand and gently slid it up to the back of his head. Slipping her fingers through his short brown hair, she drew his head towards her, so that their foreheads were touching.

"Give me til next June," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly.

"And then you'll marry me?"

Elphaba smiled as she met his gaze. "And then I'll marry you," she agreed with a nod. "And you can propose whenever the urge strikes you," she laughed quietly, but was cut off as Fiyero kissed her overpoweringly, a soft moan in his throat.

"Don't tempt me, Fae," he warned her in a whisper and Elphaba's only response was to return his kiss fervently.

Fiyero was overjoyed and he was quite happy to demonstrate that to Elphaba, deepening the kiss until she was leaning against the wall to hold herself up. They both forgot where they were, too wrapped up in one another and the moment.

"Found them, Glin! Don't you two need oxygen?"

Fiyero sighed irritably as he reluctantly pulled away from Elphaba. "Corin, I _hate_ you," he said bluntly, scowling at his friend as he turned his head.

Corin laughed and turned to Galinda, who was just behind him. "Ouch. I'm feeling the love here."

Galinda looked both amused and exasperated. "You know, when I told you that you could make out at the reception, I was kidding."

Elphaba blushed as she straightened her dress. "Did you need us, Glin?"

Galinda smirked. "Yes, actually. We're going to do toasts in a few minutes, do you think you can manage to resist each other until then?"

"No," Fiyero muttered under his breath, and Elphaba hit him on the arm.

"We'll be right in," she promised Galinda who seemed doubtful of that as she returned to the ballroom.

Corin grinned at Fiyero and gave him the thumbs up before following her.

"I hate them both… and I hate Micah. Do you think that would be a bad thing to say in my toast?" Fiyero asked Elphaba, and she laughed.

"What did Micah do?"

"Guilt by association," he grumbled and Elphaba giggled.


	33. Chapter 33

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. And there's a special mention in this chapter for Julia-Caesar, who is one of the most amazing, wonderful friends I've ever had. There's actually two moments in this chapter especially for you Jules! One you know about... one you don't :)**

**You may have noticed my updates have gotten a lot more frequent in the last few chapters... I guess mostly because I'm impatient for you guys to read it, LOL. But I don't think anyone's complaining? Also, this could be the only update for a few days (like til Friday). **

**I'm going to spend my 1 precious week of uni holidays visiting my grandparents, and I don't think I'll have internet access. Sorry!**

**33**

Elphaba and Fiyero had decided not to tell anyone about their self-imposed deadline. That was a lot harder for Fiyero than Elphaba, who was bursting to tell someone, _anyone _that it was only a matter of time before he could finally marry the woman he loved.

Although a year and a half seemed an eternity away, Fiyero quickly found the bright side- he had at least a whole eighteen months to plan the perfect proposal.

Elphaba was oblivious to all of this. Although she had decided in light of receiving the letter from her mother and Galinda and Micah's wedding that she was ready to take that next step, she was ever practical, choosing to focus on her students.

As Fiyero was busy in the Vinkus and Elphaba had no desire to go home to an empty apartment, she spent most of her time at the orphanage when she wasn't teaching, assisting Amala more and more with the children. And as time went by, it even got easier for her to be around the babies, somehow less painful. The only exception to her almost constant presence at the orphanage, were the times when Fiyero would come to the Emerald City for the weekend.

He couldn't come as often as he would like, but still managed to make the trip at least once a month, twice if he was lucky.

Elphaba's students could always tell when Fiyero was coming, because she would just be happier. He always arranged his arrival so he could meet her at the orphanage when school finished for the Friday, and he would visit with the children for a little while before whisking Elphaba away.

More often than not, they would spend their whole weekend in bed, but would go out for lunch on Sunday before Fiyero had to leave to journey back to Kiamo Ko. It was a long journey, but more than worth it.

One Tuesday morning in March, Fiyero arrived in the City and headed straight to the orphanage. That day was Elphaba's twenty-fourth birthday and he had arranged it with Amala to surprise her whilst she was teaching. He hadn't been able to make it the weekend before, instead he'd made a special trip up in the middle of the week two weeks before so he could be with Elphaba for the date that marked a year since her miscarriage.

It had been a hard day for both of them, and when Elphaba had come home from school, her thoughts on Mena, and found Fiyero sitting on the couch in their apartment, she had almost burst into tears.

"Oh thank Oz," she'd murmured, dashing immediately into his arms. "I so needed you today."

Fiyero had simply wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I know," he murmured.

So because of that quick visit, Fiyero had told her he was unable to be there for the weekend. Elphaba had understood, it wasn't like her birthday was a big deal to her anyway, but she was still disappointed she wouldn't be seeing him. So, Fiyero was hoping she'd really be surprised.

It was nearly lunch time and the students had been strangely unsettled that day, so Elphaba had decided to change her lesson plan and do an art lesson. Little did she know, once Amala had agreed to Fiyero's plan to surprise Elphaba for her birthday, she had told the children. They had spent the whole night before making cards for their teacher, and Yulia, Laryn and Calleigh had made a cake for the occasion.

All the students were busy working on their individual art projects, and Elphaba was just going around and checking on them, and helping some of the younger students.

"What are you drawing, Zofie?" Elphaba asked the little girl, crouching down beside her seat to look at her paper.

Zofie proudly showed her the picture she was working on. "It's a picture of you and Yero getting married."

Elphaba supressed a sigh, thinking she shouldn't be surprised. This was a common theme amongst the little girl's artwork, who had just turned seven.

"It's beautiful," she assured her.

"Miss Fae!" Calleigh called out across the room. "May I please go to the bathroom?"

Elphaba nodded. "Sure."

As Calleigh slipped out of the room, Elphaba moved on to the back corner, where two of her students, both eight year old boys, were drawing on the same piece of paper.

"How are you guys going?" she asked them.

She was listening attentively when a fit of sneezing distracted her.

"Laryn? Are you alright?"

"Just allergies, I get them every spring," Laryn sniffled. "Do we have any tissues?"

Elphaba pointed to her desk. "There should be some in my drawer. If not, go ask Miss Amala."

Laryn traipsed up to the desk and opened the drawer. "There's none there, Miss. I'll go ask Miss Amala."

Elphaba only nodded in acknowledgement as she left the room. Elphaba's youngest student, a little boy named Olev raised his hand from the front of the room.

"Miss Fae! Can you help me please?"

Elphaba smiled at him. "I'm coming, Olev."

She made her way to his side and knelt down next to him. "What can I help you with?"

He pouted dejectedly at his blank piece of paper. "I don't know what to draw."

Elphaba took a deep breath, she never knew what to say to those types of questions.

"Alright," she said with a faint sigh, brushing back a stray hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.

As she made suggestions to the little boy, Elphaba was suddenly startled as the classroom lights were flicked off abruptly.

"What's going-"

"_Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Miss Fae, Happy birthday to you!"_

Elphaba stood up completely stunned as Calleigh and Laryn entered the room together, carrying a large chocolate cake between them, that read "Happy birthday Miss Fae" in pale green icing.

The two girls and Yulia led the class in singing the song and as it finished Mikael yelled out,

"Hip-hip!"

"Hooray!" The children called out excitedly.

"Hip-hip!"

"Hooray!"

"Hip-hip!"

"_Hooray!"_

Yulia and Laryn started the applause and Elphaba just stood there, both surprised and embarrassed.

"Miss Fae, you have to blow out the candles!" exclaimed Olev eagerly.

Elphaba was lost for words. "Who told you it was my birthday?" she asked them in amazement.

"Er, guilty."

Elphaba spun around at the new voice and her eyes lit up to see Fiyero in the doorway to the classroom, a bouquet of red roses in his hands.

"Yero!" she gasped, moving towards him.

He met her halfway with a smile and presented the flowers to her. "Happy birthday, Fae."

He bent his head slightly and kissed her, which made all her students giggle and Elphaba blush, but she was smiling as she hugged him tightly.

"You're here," she said quietly and Fiyero kissed the top of her head.

"Of course I am."

"Miss Fae! Are you going to blow out the candles or not?" Zofie demanded impatiently and Elphaba laughed.

"Alright, alright. Here, would you like to help me?"

The little girl nodded, and Elphaba took her hand, leading her over to where Calleigh and Laryn had rested the cake.

"Ready?" she asked and Zofie nodded proudly.

"Ok. 1…2…3."

Elphaba gently blew out the candles, letting Zofie do most of them and the other kids cheered.

"Who wants cake?" Elphaba asked and eighteen hands, nineteen if you counted Fiyero's, shot straight into the air.

Mikael presented her with a knife and she obediently cut the cake and began doling it out to the children.

Zofie tugged on Fiyero's pant leg. "Yero, can we give Miss Fae our cards now?"

Ignoring Elphaba's startled look, Fiyero grinned at the little girl. "I think that's a great idea, Zofie."

"What did you do?" Elphaba demanded of him quietly, watching as all the kids produced homemade cards from under their desks.

Fiyero looked at her innocently. "Nothing. I thought I'd come up and surprise you. Amala did the rest."

"Miss Fae, read mine first!" Olev begged, waving his card in the air and Elphaba laughed.

"Alright, Olev."

She had to read and admire all eighteen cards, from Olev up to Mikael, and Fiyero could tell how overwhelmed she was by it all and decided to move on to phase two.

"So," he announced in a loud voice to get all the kids' attention. "What does everyone think, about a picnic lunch at Emerald Park?"

"Yes!" the kids cried excitedly.

Fiyero grinned. "Then go bundle up and meet us in the foyer."

"Fiyero, what?" Elphaba began to ask, but Fiyero cut her off.

"Don't worry, Fae. It's all arranged with Amala. She's even made us the lunch," he assured her.

Elphaba was just amazed by the effort he had gone to for her, but inwardly reflected that it probably shouldn't surprise her anymore.

"Ok. I'm going to go help the little ones… make sure they rug up," she told him and he nodded.

"Ok. I'll wait in the foyer."

Elphaba kissed him quickly and then headed upstairs, taking the roses with her to put them in a vase.

Fiyero grinned to himself as he headed to the foyer to wait for all the kids. He found Calleigh, Yulia and Laryn already there, bundled up in coats and their faces flushed with excitement.

"I love picnics," Laryn said excitedly.

Yulia turned to Fiyero inquisitively. "Fiyero, what did you get Miss Fae for her birthday?"

Fiyero grinned. "What makes you think the pleasure of my company isn't her present?" he replied and the three girls immediately blushed and giggled.

"We think you should propose," Laryn said matter-of-factly and Fiyero raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you do, huh? Why is that?"

"Because we want to see it," Calleigh answered laughingly but Yulia shushed her.

"_No!_ Because it's her birthday and it would be _so _romantic if you proposed in the park," she said to Fiyero.

Fiyero laughed in amusement. "Really? In front of all of you?"

Laryn nodded. "Yes! And then, years from now, we'll be able to tell our grandchildren that we were _there _when Prince Fiyero and Princess Elphaba got engaged. It would be the best story ever!" she insisted.

Fiyero smiled. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble girls, but-"

Yulia cut him off. "Just think about it," she said, patting him on the arm.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Alright," he agreed to appease them.

Olev thundered down the stairs, his coat buttoned crookedly. "I'm ready!" he announced excitedly and Fiyero supressed laughter.

"I can see that. Tell you what though, why don't I just fix this?" he suggested, kneeling down to button the coat correctly.

Behind him, Yulia's voice drifted to his ears.

"Oh my Oz, I can't believe I actually _touched_ him!"

Fiyero smothered a groan, thankful Elphaba wasn't there to hear that. She'd never let him live it down. As he was finishing up, Elphaba came down the stairs, holding Zofie's hand. She smiled slightly to see Fiyero with Olev, every time she saw him interact with the kids she was reminded by what a good father he'd be to their own children one day.

Finally, when all the kids were warmly dressed, Elphaba collected the picnic baskets from Amala and she and Fiyero led them the two blocks to Emerald park, Kefir eagerly tagging along.

The kids had a blast. Amala's lunch was incredibly good and as they ate, Calleigh began asking Fiyero about what it was like in the Vinkus. He happily described his homeland to her, and a few of the kids were entranced by the images he painted for them.

"What's your favourite place?" Laryn asked him and Fiyero didn't even have to think about it.

"The grasslands," he replied immediately. "In the spring and summer, they just bloom with the most beautiful wildflowers."

Yulia sighed, her eyes alight. "Oh, Vinkun wildflowers… how pretty," she whispered. "I wish I could see them."

After lunch, Mikael produced a ball and they began playing games. Kefir was alternating between chasing the ball and chasing birds, to the amusement of the kids. Some of the younger kids went to play on the playground and Elphaba was watching them carefully as Fiyero came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So, your Three Musketeers seem to think I should propose today," he said quietly and Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"Do they really? Well, I know I'm not the biggest romantic in Oz, Yero; but if this is your idea of a proposal, I'm a little disappointed."

Fiyero scoffed, turning her around in his embrace to face him. "Trust me, Fae. My proposal is going to kick ass," he assured her and she laughed.

"Good to know."

She leaned up and kissed him softly.

"What was that for?" he murmured and she shrugged.

"I'm just glad you're here. I miss you," she admitted and Fiyero grinned.

"I miss you too, green girl… oh, and Micah, Galinda, Corin and my parents all send their love."

Elphaba smiled. "How are the newlyweds?"

"Happy," Fiyero said fondly.

"Good. I'm glad."

"Galinda's very excited to see you this summer so she can show you all around the house."

Elphaba grimaced. "Dare I ask how much pink there is?"

Fiyero laughed. "Don't worry. Micah restricted the limit of pink that went into the house… except for Galinda's private parlour where he gave her full reign."

Elphaba groaned. "Wonderful."

Fiyero kissed her softly. "Happy birthday, Elphaba."

Elphaba murmured contentedly, and just enjoyed having him with her. As much as she loved her students and enjoyed teaching them, she couldn't wait for the summer to begin.


	34. Chapter 34

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN Yes, I managed to get a little internet access! Hooray! This could be it until Friday though, but hey- it's something. **

**Only 9 chapters to go after this! I'm so sad, but i can't wait for you all to read the ending! So to celebrate, a lovely Elphaba/Galinda friendship moment.  
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**34**

When Elphaba returned to Kiamo Ko at the beginning of July, it was hard to tell who was more excited to see her, Fiyero or Galinda. She'd brought Kefir back with her, and the dog would wander the grounds for hours exploring every new sight and smell he could find.

And Fiyero had more surprises for Elphaba when she arrived. He'd been busy throughout the spring in between all his duties, as soon as the ground had thawed, he'd added more plants to what was now unofficially known as "Mena's garden". And when Elphaba first saw it, she was amazed. It was full of colour and life and he'd even put in a small table and chairs so that they could have tea out in the garden if they chose to.

It was here that Galinda and Elphaba were having tea one morning in early August. Galinda had arrived at the castle unexpectedly and Elphaba had seen something in her best friend's eyes that worried her. Knowing her friend could not be pushed, Elphaba suggested they have tea in the garden and Galinda had agreed.

"Do you miss her? Even though you never knew her?" Galinda asked her quietly as they sipped their tea.

Elphaba didn't have to ask who she was talking about as she slowly lowered her cup.

"Every day," she replied simply.

Then she sighed sadly. "It's going to sound stupid but… I feel like I do know her. Remember, I _saw_ her. And it's not hard for me to think about the vision I saw and think that she'd be almost a year old now. And I can picture what she'd be like. So I _do_ know her. Does that make sense?"

Galinda smiled. "It makes perfect sense, Elphie."

Elphaba noticed Galinda's eyes fall and frowned anxiously. "Glin, what's going on? Are you alright?"

Galinda took a deep breath, turning to face her. "Elphaba, I need to tell you something."

"Ok," Elphaba replied slowly.

"And I'm worried about telling you," she admitted and Elphaba was startled.

"Worried? Why would you be worried about telling me?" she demanded.

Elphaba was taken aback to see tears shining in Galinda's eyes. "Because you're my best friend. And you've been through so much… I don't want to make you sad."

Elphaba reached out and squeezed her hand lightly. "Glin, you can tell me anything," she said softly. "Please tell me? If there's something wrong…"

Galinda shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong, Elphie," she assured her.

Elphaba waited patiently, and saw Galinda's face turn pink and she smiled slightly.

"Elphie… Micah and I are having a baby."

Galinda watched Elphaba's face carefully for her reaction. Elphaba's eyes widened in disbelief for a moment and then she looked at Galinda in wonder.

"You're having a baby?" she repeated and Galinda nodded apprehensively.

Elphaba laughed, and then she quickly got up to hug her best friend tightly.

"You silly goose! Why would you be afraid to tell something as wonderful as that?" she demanded and Galinda burst into tears as she returned the hug furiously.

"I didn't want to make you sad," she explained again and Elphaba shook her head as she pulled away.

"Glin, I'm not sad. I'm thrillified for you- and Micah. This is so wonderful. Congratulotions, dearie. I'm so happy for you," she said softly, kissing her cheek softly and hugging her again.

"How long have you known?"

Galinda wiped her eyes delicately as they sat back down. "Only a week. I'm due in March… I'm apparently only six weeks. Micah thought we should wait until the second trimester to tell people… but I couldn't not tell you, Elphie. Oh, and look- you are sad!"

Galinda had caught her friend staring at her tea sadly and felt awful.

"See, this is why I was worried," Galinda began to sob weakly. "I know how hard this month is for you, and I didn't want to make it worse…"

Elphaba quickly moved her chair to be beside her friend and pulled her into another hug.

"Oh, Glin. You are the sweetest person I've ever met," she sighed. "And I love you for that, but really, I'm not sad."

She smiled at her friend and gave a small shrug. "I was just thinking… you're due in March. Apart from Lurlinemas, I won't see you for your entire pregnancy… I'll be in the City. That's all that that was making me sad," she assured her.

Galinda hadn't thought of that. "Oh… Elphie, if you're not here- who's going to help me plan the nursery and pick baby names and throw me a baby shower?" she asked sadly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes fondly. "Glin, I'm sure those are all things your _husband_ might like to help with," she said dryly. "Except for the baby shower, but I can't imagine I'd be much help with that anyway. And we can still write," she promised.

Galinda sniffled. "And you can still lecture me about not buying everything pink because it could be a boy, and tell me any baby names I like are ridiculously perky?"

"I'm planning on it," Elphaba laughed and embraced her again. "I'm kind of hoping you _do_ have a boy, just to see what you'd do," she teased and Galinda giggled.

"Elphie… you and Fiyero will be godparents, won't you?"

Elphaba hadn't been expecting that, although she wasn't quite sure why, but there was a lump in her throat as she nodded.

"I'd love that, Glin. Thank you."

Micah told Fiyero and Corin the news that day, when they met for lunch, and the two young men were just as surprised and thrillified as Elphaba had been.

"Wow you didn't waste any time did you?" Corin asked him and Micah reddened.

"Shut up, Corin."

Corin tried to look innocent. "What? I'm just pointing out that you've only been married for six months and it's very impressive that you've already knocked up your missus."

Micah scowled. "This is exactly why we're asking Fiyero to be godfather and not you."

Fiyero was startled. "Whoa, what?" he gaped at his friend.

Micah shrugged. "Well, Elphaba's going to be godmother… there's no one else we wanted to ask."

Fiyero was touched. "Wow. Thanks man, it'd be an honour."

Corin pouted. "Ok, so I didn't get to be best man, I don't get to be godfather… what am I to you two, chopped liver?"

"Well, we didn't want to say anything," Fiyero teased and Corin glared at him.

When the three went their separate ways, Fiyero turned to Micah.

"So, when's Glin due?"

"The end of March… listen, Yero… Glin and I both wanted to make sure you and Elphaba are okay with all of this."

Fiyero frowned. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Micah hesitated. "Well, we know it might be hard for you… because of Mena."

Understanding dawned in Fiyero's eyes and then he looked faintly amused. "That's a really nice thought, Micah, but really? I mean, what would you do if Fae or I turned around and said that we weren't okay with it?"

He had a point and Micah chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, okay," he admitted.

Micah shook his head in wonder. "I have to say… there may have been a time when I thought I'd be the first of the three of us to do all this stuff… get married, have kids… but once you met Elphaba, I thought there was no way. But now…"

Fiyero smiled, trying not to think that he and Elphaba almost were the first to have children. Micah seemed to realise what he'd said after a moment and winced apologetically.

"Sorry, Yero. I didn't think-"

"It's fine," Fiyero assured him.

Micah studied his face for a moment. "How's it going, Yero?"

Fiyero let out a breath and shrugged. "I don't know. She'd nearly be one," he mused softly. "And then two days after that… Fae and I have been together three years. Oz, I can't believe how fast it's gone."

"In a good way?"

"The best," Fiyero said happily. "Don't you feel that way about Galinda?"

"Well, yes," Micah admitted. "But we were only together for a year and a bit before I proposed, and we've only been married for six months… I thought it was just like the honeymoon phase or something."

Fiyero laughed.

"So, three years is a long time. When are you going to marry that girl?" Micah asked and Fiyero groaned.

"Oz, you sound like my parents!" he complained and changed the subject.

When Fiyero was at last done for the day and gratefully returned to Kiamo Ko, he found Elphaba sitting silently on a bench in Mena's garden, lost deep in thought.

"Hey, green girl," he greeted her softly, not wanting to scare her as he approached.

Elphaba's gaze whipped around and when she found his face, she smiled faintly. "Hey."

He sat down beside her and slid an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and moved so her legs were draped over his.

"Did Micah talk to you today?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah, he did. What do you think?"

"I think it's going to be funny if they have a son and Galinda can't dress him in pink," Elphaba replied and Fiyero laughed.

"Oz, that would be great," he agreed.

Elphaba looked up at him. "She's six weeks," she said simply and Fiyero kissed her forehead silently in reply, wondering if she would forever feel guilty for not noticing she was pregnant for so long.

"Yep," was all he could think to say and they simply sat there together in the garden as dusk slowly fell around them.


	35. Chapter 35

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**35**

One day in November, Micah and Galinda had been invited to Kiamo Ko for dinner. Galinda was five months pregnant by then and just beginning to visibly show. Both Galinda's parents and Micah's were thrillified about the news and Galinda was just glowing. She was healthy and had boundless energy, and Fiyero was actually envious of Elphaba for not being there- an energetic Galinda was a lot to deal with.

Fiyero was still managing to spend a few weekends in the Emerald City with her, but he found he was increasingly impatient for time to move forward. He was so aware that once Lurlinemas was past, it was only six months until Elphaba's contract with the orphanage was up and she would return to the Vinkus for good. And then, he kept reminding himself, he could "propose whenever the urge struck him" as Elphaba had so laughingly put it at Micah and Galinda's wedding.

He was still working on the 'perfect' proposal and the temptation to tell Galinda about it was sometimes overwhelming, but he'd somehow managed to not give away the secret.

"Yero?"

Fiyero broke away his conversation with Micah as his mother entered the sitting room where they were having tea and coffee.

"Hey, Mom."

Kasmira handed him a letter. "This just arrived for you. Express post."

A frown creased Fiyero's brow and his heart quickened as he saw the return address was the Emerald City.

"Fiyero, what is it?" Galinda asked, seeing his face.

"It's from the City," he explained. He couldn't help but worry, Elphaba never wrote to him by express and his first thought was that something was urgently wrong.

That feeling wasn't helped when he realised that the handwriting on the envelope was not Elphaba's.

_Dear Fiyero,_

_I don't mean to alarm you, but I felt I must write as soon as possible. Elphaba tells me that news can sometimes take a while to get to the Vinkus from the Emerald City, so it would not surprise me if you were unaware of the news I have to bear. _

_In the past two weeks or so, we've had an epidemic of scarlet fever sweeping throughout the City including, I'm afraid, the orphanage. Apparently it is not the worst plague the City has suffered in its history, but that is of little comfort to those affected. _

_Elphaba, as I'm sure it will not surprise you to hear, for it's not atypical behaviour for her, has been almost a permanent fixture at the orphanage since the symptoms first began appearing a week ago. We've had nine cases amongst the children, all of varying degrees of severity. I've sent the remaining children to my brother's estate up at Neverdale, where they will be safer and less open to the virus. _

_Elphaba has stayed to help care for the ill children and it is this reason why I write to you now. I cannot tell you how awful I feel to have to tell you that Zofie passed away last night. She was most likely the severely ill of the children and there was simply nothing more we could do. Elphaba was with her until the very end, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that her death has hit her hard. I'm also worried… Elphaba has been exposed to the virus for a week now, and although as of yet she does not appear to have contracted the disease, she is exhibiting a few early symptoms._

_It's not a surprise and it does not mean she is ill- exhaustion, malnourishment and stress could also explain the signs. As I said, Elphaba is working tirelessly to do what she can for the children, but she simply won't listen to me and take care of herself. This is why I am writing to you._

_Best wishes,_

_Miss Amala._

"Fiyero? What is it?" Kasmira asked worriedly, seeing her son's face pale and go wax.

Wordlessly, he handed her the letter and Kasmira gaped as she read Amala's words.

"Kasmira, what's going on?" Micah questioned.

"There's an epidemic of scarlet fever going through the City," Kasmira explained shakily. "Some of Elphaba's students are ill. One of them died… Miss Amala is worried that Elphaba may be getting sick too."

Galinda paled, they all knew how serious scarlet fever could be.

"No!"

Fiyero swallowed hard and jumped up from his seat. "I'm going," he said to his mother, who knew better than to argue with him.

"I'll send for the carriage."

Fiyero ran out of the room to hastily pack a bag and Galinda turned to Micah, tears in her eyes.

"Elphie will be alright won't she?"

Micah tried to soothe his pregnant wife. "Kasmira didn't say she was sick, just that Amala was worried about her. I'm sure she'll be fine."

But he didn't look or sound convinced.

Fiyero spent the whole carriage ride from Kiamo Ko to the Emiliani orphanage, his mind a whirl of thoughts. _Was_ Elphaba actually getting sick or was it merely stress and exhaustion? Who amongst her other students were sick and just how sick were they? He didn't have to wonder how Zofie's death was affecting her, Amala had been right in saying that he knew how close Elphaba was to the little girl.

When he finally arrived in the Emerald City, it was early afternoon. Amala met him at the door, she seemed tired, worried and strained but glad to see him.

"You made very good time," she said softly.

"I drove through the night. How is everyone? Fae, the kids?" he asked urgently.

Amala sighed. "We've actually been relatively lucky compared to some areas, not that it's much comfort. We nearly lost Laryn, but she pulled through. The other seven cases are all at various stages of recovery. But I am worried about Elphaba, that's why I wrote to you."

"When did Zofie pass?" Fiyero asked quietly, thinking about the little girl who had adored her beloved "Miss Fae."

Amala's face saddened. "Early yesterday morning. Like I said, Elphaba was with her until the end."

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

"And you really think she could be infected?" Fiyero asked anxiously.

Amala sighed, not wanting to worry him unnecessarily. "She hasn't said anything, but for I'd say at least the last day or two, she's had a slight fever, headaches and muscle aches. These are all symptoms of scarlet fever, but also just general symptoms of stress and fatigue. I'm just being cautious."

"I'm really grateful to you for writing to me," he said sincerely.

Amala smiled. "No worries, dear."

He made to head upstairs to see Elphaba, but Amala stopped him. "I haven't said this to Elphaba… Fiyero, I'm planning on taking all the children up to Neverdale eventually. Those who were sick are going to need time, fresh air and rest to recover, and those who weren't could certainly use some time away from the city. So, circumstances being what they are… I'm willing to let Elphaba out of fulfilling the remainder of her contract here. If she chooses, she can leave as soon as she wants to."

Fiyero was stunned. "I'll talk to her," he promised and Amala smiled.

"Ok. We've got all the sick ones up in the same room- first door on the right."

Fiyero headed upstairs quickly, eager to see Elphaba. It was odd, he'd never heard the orphanage so quiet in all the time he'd been there.

But he steeled himself before opening the door, unsure of what he'd see inside. He recognised all the kids in the room of course, and he felt awful to see them all lying there. And then he saw Elphaba.

She was sitting in a chair by the window, keeping silent vigil over a bed. It took him a moment to recognise Laryn lying there and he swallowed hard. Elphaba's face was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes were closed, and Fiyero wasn't sure if she was sleeping or not.

He quietly slipped over to her side and knelt down beside the chair.

"Fae?" he whispered, taking her hand in his.

Elphaba's eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. She looked confused to see him in front of her and then she gave a small half-sob, half-laugh.

"How do you always turn up when I need you?" she whispered and Fiyero smiled as he gently cupped her cheek in his hand.

"How are you doing, green girl?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to reply, but choked on her words, feeling all her exhaustion and grief rush to the surface.

"Zofie-"

"I know, honey. I'm sorry."

He stood up and rearranged Elphaba so that he was sitting on the chair, Elphaba on his knee and her head resting against his chest.

"How are the other kids doing?" he murmured to her softly.

Elphaba sighed softly. "They're all going to be ok. As soon as people started getting sick, Amala sent the under-five kids up to her brother's. The plan was to evacuate them all in stages… Laryn… we weren't sure if she was going to make it, but her fever broke two nights ago. How did you know? I hadn't had the time to write to you yet."

"Amala wrote to me… sent it by express," he explained. "She's worried about you."

"I'm not sick, Yero my hero," she assured him quietly. "I'm just… tired."

"Are you sure? I couldn't handle it if I lost you," he whispered and she kissed him softly.

"I'm ok, Yero."

Elphaba sighed sadly. "Zofie was the youngest of those who got sick. She's only… she _was _only seven," she corrected herself in a pained whisper.

Fiyero kissed her temple softly. "Listen… I talked to Amala."

"About what?"

"She's letting you out of your contract," he explained quietly.

Elphaba looked up at him in surprise. "She's _what_?"

Quietly, Fiyero explained the situation. Elphaba was taken aback, and not quite sure what to do with the news. Fiyero just sat there and let her absorb the news and organise her thoughts.

"What do you want to do, Fae?" he asked her quietly.

Elphaba sighed thoughtfully. "I want to wait until we bury Zofie," she said quietly. "I owe her that much… and I'd like to say goodbye to the kids."

Fiyero nodded. "Ok," he agreed. "And then we go home?"

Elphaba smiled faintly at the thought of going back to the Vinkus, which had well and truly become home to her more than any other place. "Home sounds nice," she whispered and Fiyero kissed her softly.


	36. Chapter 36

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. So here it is Julia-Caesar, your chapter :) hope it was worth the wait!**

**And to all those who were horrified that Zofie died... I know. Believe me, i know. But hey, it got the reaction i wanted from all of you! And I did debate whether Elphaba would actually be sick or not, but i figured she and Fiyero have been through a LOT in this story, so i cut them a break. Maybe the next one?**

**Btw, how awesome was Glee? Loved having Idina back and between the Shelby/Rachel duet, Will yelling at Quinn and Puck proving like he has from the moment he heard Quinn was pregnant in season 1 that he would be an awesome dad... love it. Quinn, on the other hand... hmm.**

**And I am completely in awe. 396 reviews to date... I never expected it. When 'Falling In' passed 200 i was thrillified and in awe, but this... for people to not only read the stuff I write, but to LIKE it and review it so I can share in your thoughts and reactions... it's more than i ever dreamed of. So, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you enjoy the chapter xxx**

**36**

The first thing Fiyero had to do after arriving in the Emerald City and seeing Elphaba was write to Galinda and assure her that Elphaba was not ill nor in any danger of being ill.

But it was another three weeks before Elphaba, Fiyero and Kefir finally left the Emerald City for the Vinkus. They had buried Zofie in the cemetery, a small, quiet service attended only by Amala, Elphaba and Fiyero. Elphaba was still grieving for the little girl, but was distracting herself by caring for the other kids who were still recovering.

Fiyero pitched in with whatever he could, and made a point of making sure Elphaba really was taking care of herself. That had taken almost two weeks and then they had escorted Amala and the rest of the kids up to her brother's estate at Neverdale.

And there Fiyero watched as Elphaba broke the news to her students she was leaving them.

They were devastated at the news, and Elphaba tried to be positive about it.

"You knew I wouldn't be here forever," she pointed out. "I was going to be leaving at the end of the school year anyway… this is just a few months early."

"Where are you going to go?" Calleigh asked her emotionally.

"Back to the Vinkus?" Yulia asked and Elphaba nodded.

"Yes."

"What are you going to do there?" Laryn demanded, and Elphaba smiled faintly.

"I'm sure I'll be able to occupy myself."

Olev jumped up from the floor and ran to hug her tightly. "I'll miss you, Miss Fae."

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

Elphaba quickly found herself in a group hug amongst all her students and sighed. It would not be easy to leave the children who had come to mean so much to her in only a short time.

On the morning they left, all the children from the orphanage had to hug Elphaba goodbye tightly and assure her how much they would miss her. She returned the sentiments warmly, and it was only Yulia, Laryn and Calleigh that saved her from a very emotional display.

The girls had stepped up to say goodbye, amongst the last of the children to do so. Calleigh was in tears as she hugged her fiercely.

"Miss Fae… could I write to you in the Vinkus?" she asked shyly and Elphaba hugged her again, kissing the top of her head fondly.

"Of course you can. I want to hear all about the books you're reading and how your studies are going, understood?"

"Maybe, when we grow up, we could come visit you!" Laryn said hopefully and Elphaba cackled with laughter.

"When you grow up?"

"Well, when we get jobs and have money for the journey," Laryn elaborated and Elphaba smiled.

"That sounds wonderful. I know you'd all love it in the Vinkus."

Yulia hesitated when she broke away from hugging her teacher. "Miss, Fae… could I ask you something?"

"I think you just did," Elphaba replied dryly. "But yes, you may."

To her surprise, Yulia blushed.

"Yulia?"

Fiyero was standing just out of earshot, and he watched with interest as Yulia leaned forward and whispered something to Elphaba.

To his surprise and confusion, Elphaba's eyes flickered to him and she seemed to be supressing laughter with great difficulty.

She said something to Yulia and then headed outside.

"Fae?" Fiyero frowned as she passed him, and her lips twitched.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Amala and meet you in the carriage," she said hastily, not stopping and Fiyero's frown deepened.

"Fiyero?"

He turned to face Yulia. "Hey, Yulia."

The young girl's face was flushed pink. "We just wanted to say goodbye," she said, referring to Laryn and Calleigh behind her.

"And also… just to ask you something before you leave?"

"Sure, what is it?" Fiyero replied.

Yulia blushed even deeper as she opened her mouth. "Could I please… touch your hair?"

Fiyero was startled by the question and blushed almost as much as Yulia. "Er, well… I suppose," he said uncertainly, deciding he didn't want to ask why.

He felt decidedly awkward as Yulia tentatively reached up and laid her hand on his head, touching the hair on top of his head and he heard her draw in her breath sharply.

When Fiyero practically dove into the carriage a few minutes later, he found Elphaba practically lying on the seat in hysterical giggles.

"I _cannot_ believe you did that to me!" he scowled at her as she howled with laughter.

"Did you let her?" she asked, her eyes twinkling and Fiyero's silence seemed to be answer enough for her, and send her into a fresh wave of laughter.

"The poor girl is probably never going to wash her hand again," she teased and Fiyero only glared at her.

"It wasn't just her. Laryn too," he admitted reluctantly and Elphaba literally thought she was going to do some serious damage from laughing too hard.

"And Calleigh?" she managed to ask.

"Was very sweet and said it had been very nice to meet me, and she hoped we'd be very happy… and so I gave her a hug."

"Aww, you're such a softie," she smiled at him lovingly and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?" he asked her and she smirked.

"Of course not. This is better than your mother telling you to eat your vegetables!" she laughed.

Fiyero hadn't been expecting any less, but even he was stunned when it was literally the first thing Elphaba told Galinda when the expectant mother eagerly met them at Kiamo Ko when they finally arrived.

"_Elphaba!"_ he complained, but both girls were already lost in fits of giggles.

Finally, Galinda sobered enough to hug her friend tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Elphie. And I'm sorry about Zofie. I never met her, but she sounded so sweet."

Elphaba smiled sadly. "She was," she agreed. "Did I ever show you all the pictures she drew for me?"

"No."

Elphaba had kept and cherished everything her students had ever given her, from pictures, to notes, to the cards they'd made for her birthday. When Galinda followed her upstairs to unpack her bags, Elphaba carefully removed them and gave them to her friend.

"I think I detect a theme here," Galinda laughed gently.

Elphaba smiled. "She was fascinated by the idea I was going to be a princess one day," she chuckled faintly, then sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry, Elphie… what are you going to do now that you're here for good?" Galinda asked and Elphaba hesitated.

"I don't know," she admitted, then smiled at her best friend. "Prepare for the birth of my godchild, I guess."

Galinda's eyes lit up. "Yes! You can help me decorate the nursery!" she squealed excitedly.

"Won't Micah want to do that?" Elphaba asked but Galinda rolled her eyes.

"Please, what does a _man_ know about these things?"

Elphaba laughed. "Glin, I really don't think I'd be much more use than Micah."

Elphaba was happy to be back in the Vinkus, but she was a little unsure with what to do with herself now that she was back. Of course, she was spending a lot of time with Galinda, but Elphaba had never been good at doing nothing for long.

One day, shortly before Lurlinemas, Ibrahim found her restlessly prowling the library shelves for something to read, and chuckled fondly.

"You look lost, Elphaba."

She laughed. "I can't seem to focus on anything," she admitted and Ibrahim smiled.

"Come with me," he beckoned and curiously Elphaba followed him to a chair by the fire. "I had an idea," he began.

"Kasmira and I weren't sure whether to say anything to you, because we didn't want you to feel uncomfortable or like we were pressuring you."

Elphaba was puzzled. "Ok…"

"We wondered," Ibrahim said slowly. "If perhaps after Lurlinemas, you wanted to… begin taking on more responsibility."

Elphaba was still confused.

"Not in an official capacity of course," he hastened to add. "But maybe to begin learning what life will be like for you once you and Fiyero eventually marry."

Elphaba blushed slightly, but the idea was intriguing. "In what way?"

Ibrahim smiled at her warmly. "You already have picked up on many of our customs here and the way we do certain things. But there are many more customs and traditions and laws here. The Vinkus is the oldest province of Oz, which I know you know. And then of course, there are the duties you will have as the Vinkun princess. Kasmira is more than eager to help you begin learning about them and what they entail, but like I said, we didn't want to pressure you."

Elphaba was surprised but she also really liked the idea. At any rate, it would give her something to do.

"I know there's still a lot for me to learn," she admitted. "I'd like to begin as soon as possible."

Ibrahim beamed approvingly, he'd suspected she'd answer as such. "Wonderful! Well, I think after the holidays would be a good time to start," he suggested and Elphaba nodded.

"Thank you," she said swiftly, pecking him on the cheek before leaving the library and Ibrahim laughed to himself quietly.

Neither Elphaba or Fiyero would say a word on the subject of marriage, just that it would happen… eventually. But Ibrahim and Kasmira were more than a little impatient for 'eventually' to arrive.

But however impatient they were, they were also impressed by the young couple's decision to wait- even if that was more due to Elphaba than Fiyero.

"It gives Elphaba time to make sure she is well aware of the life she's getting into," Kasmira said to her husband that night when he told her of his discussion with Elphaba and the subject had changed to just when Fiyero would propose.

"Falling in love with Fiyero isn't as simple as loving him. Becoming a part of our family means big changes for her."

Ibrahim nodded. "I know," he assured her. "But I think she's ready for it."

"So do I," Kasmira admitted. "But that's not the point. _She_ has to believe she's ready for it."

"And then what? She gives Yero some signal to propose?"

Kasmira laughed. "Ibrahim, we've seen how well Elphaba and Fiyero know one another. I suspect that when the time comes for Elphaba to take that step, Yero might know before Elphaba herself does."

"He's just as impatient to marry her as we are," Ibrahim complained and the queen smiled.

"I know. But for all his past behaviour before he met Elphaba, your son is quite the romantic. He'll want this proposal to be perfect."

Ibrahim raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Oh, he's _my _son, is he?"

Kasmira chuckled. "Yes. Goodnight, love."

Ibrahim rolled his eyes slightly as he turned off the light and prepared to go to sleep, figuring that Kasmira was right about the proposal. Mothers usually were about these things.


	37. Chapter 37

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Yes, I'm updating again... sue me, I love this part! So I wanted to give a shout out to a few of my twitter friends who read this story:**

**First of all to Kelly, because she's been very excited to read this chapter. We actually met in August at the stage door of Wicked in Perth, and now here we are! I never expected to get a new friend out of the trip, or to get you hooked on FF (but I'm not complaining nor sorry for either :P) but it's made me love Wicked even more because i've made some awesome friends through the fandom! **

**Also a shout out to Micheala, who's tweets as she reads through this story make me laugh, because it's like I'm right there with you as you're reading! **

**The friends you can make on twitter people... it's amazing. But doesn't help with the internet addiction...**

**And of course, to Hedwig446 and Julia-Caesar, who are also both very impatient for this chapter... even if it's not quite as good as touching Fiyero's hair, right Jules?**

**Also, I've just set up a facebook page: "Ozian is an official language" because Facebook does not think it is. If you're on FB, like it! And we can all talk Ozian!**

**Actually, a lot of you were very impatient to read the events of this chapter. Hope you approve!**

**37**

Although Fiyero was ecstatic to have Elphaba permanently in the Vinkus once more, there was one element he was uncertain on and he somehow couldn't bring himself to raise the subject- where exactly did it leave them standing on the subject of marriage? Til June, Elphaba had asked him for, but that was only because she wanted to finish up her contract at the orphanage… which she was no longer obligated to.

Given the tragic circumstances under which that had occurred, Fiyero hadn't thought the best thing was to ask Elphaba her thoughts on the matter. But sometimes it felt as though the subject of their marriage was on everyone's lips, _but _Elphaba's.

Since Lurlinemas, Elphaba had taken Ibrahim's offer up and was beginning to learn what some of her duties would be as the Vinkun princess. Part of this also involved her fully stepping into the public eye for the first time since she and Fiyero had begun dating.

Of course, it had always been _news _that Fiyero Tiggular had changed all his past behaviour and was involved in a serious relationship- especially when they'd discovered that Elphaba had a… unique verdigris. But they'd never really been exposed to her, Fiyero, Kasmira and Ibrahim had all been firm keeping her from the public eye.

But now, Elphaba was making a point to go and meet the people and it was taken by a sign by most that an engagement announcement would not be far off. Galinda, well known to be best friends with Elphaba, was often drawn into conversations in town with civilians, hoping for information.

"There's just so much rumour and speculation," she said to Elphaba one day. "Innuendo… outuendo. I can't tell you how many times I've had to set the record straight."

But Elphaba was thriving, she'd always loved the Vinkus since her first visit and she found the people very welcoming. It gave her a new understanding of the political and social issues of the province, which Ibrahim was more than happy to discuss and debate with her.

It was late one night in mid-February when Fiyero was getting ready for bed as Elphaba was going into their en suite bathroom to brush her teeth. Fiyero groaned slightly with relief as he sat down on the bed and pulled his shoes off. He'd hard a long day and was definitely ready for bed.

"_Fiyero."_

He looked up tiredly at Elphaba's annoyed tone and looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips.

"What?" he asked her.

She held up the tube of toothpaste in her hand exasperatedly. "You're squeezing from the middle again."

Fiyero grimaced, it was one of his girlfriend's biggest pet peeves. "Sorry, Fae. I forget."

"How do you forget?" she demanded.

"I don't think about where I'm squeezing the toothpaste from when I brush my teeth!" Fiyero protested in his own defence. "And I've been doing it for twenty-six years, I just don't think about it."

Elphaba sighed irritably. Then she frowned as she noticed the grin on his face.

"You think it's funny?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fiyero chuckled. "No, sweet girl, I don't."

"Then why are you grinning like an idiot?"

He shrugged. "I just find it nice that we're in that stage of our relationship where we can argue over toothpaste."

Elphaba stared at him for a moment blankly.

"Wondering why you love me?" Fiyero asked with a teasing grin even as he stripped off his shirt.

"Every day," she teased back and returned to the bathroom.

Fiyero laughed and leaned back on his elbows tiredly. He watched as Elphaba brushed her teeth, her long black hair in a ponytail and dressed in her nightgown. She rested her weight on one leg as she stood at the sink and absent-mindedly tapped her bare toes on the tiled floor.

It was a scene Fiyero had seen many times before, but never really studied. But now he watched her, and tilted his head in thought, that he loved the idea of watching her brush her teeth every night for the rest of their lives.

He stood up and went to stand in the bathroom doorway, watching as she spat and rinsed her mouth out.

"Marry me."

Elphaba's eyes shot up to meet his in the mirror, the large brown eyes wide with shock.

"What?" she asked, thinking she'd misheard.

"Marry me," Fiyero repeated, his tone quiet and solemn.

Elphaba turned around to face him, clutching her toothbrush in her hand. "Are you _proposing_ to me as I brush my _teeth_?" she asked in disbelief.

Fiyero nodded. "Yes."

She was completely overwhelmed, not sure what to say or how to react. "Really?" she demanded. "So, when your parents, Galinda… our _children_… ask about this story, _this_ is what you want to tell them? That I was brushing my teeth and you said 'Marry me'?"

Fiyero couldn't help but smile and shrugged. "Alright, fine."

He stepped forward and gently eased the toothbrush out of her hand, putting it away and turning off the tap, before taking her hand and leading her into their bedroom. He couldn't read Elphaba's face as he turned to face her and drew her close; but the fact she hadn't said "No" outright was a good sign.

"I wanted this moment to be perfect," he lamented sadly, thinking of all his grand proposal plans he'd been developing since Micah and Galinda's wedding. "Because you deserve that and you've already missed out on so many things that you should have had, that you deserved to have, in your life... and if I can spend the rest of my life trying to give you the perfect moments and the experiences you deserve, then I will."

Elphaba felt dizzy, like she wasn't sure exactly what was happening. She couldn't even speak, all she could do was meet Fiyero's gaze and remind herself to breathe.

"I know I promised you time," he said quietly. "But I can't wait any longer. I want to marry you Fae, and I want it to be soon. You asked for until June, and then I could propose whenever I wanted. But things changed… and I just… I love you, Elphaba. I love you and I can't live without you and I _need_ you to marry me, because I can't wait anymore. Not when I would have married you as soon as I knew I loved you if I could have. So, _marry_ me. Please?"

Fiyero waited anxiously as Elphaba just stared at him silently. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like hours to him. And then she leaned up and kissed him urgently, winding her arms around his neck and pulling them together as close as she could. Fiyero responded eagerly, tightening his grip around her.

"Just so you know," he murmured, moving his lips to her neck. "I'm taking this as a 'yes'."

"You do that," she gasped breathlessly, jumping up and wrapping her emerald legs around his waist.

"How's next week for you?" he asked, moving over to the bed.

She laughed as he lay her down and hovered over her.

"May," she replied and Fiyero pulled back to frown at her.

"May? Why May?"

"Why not? Can we talk about this later?" she demanded impatiently and Fiyero grinned.

"Whatever you want, green girl," he agreed, and lowered his lips to hers.

Hours later, Fiyero drew lazy patterns on her back with his finger as he looked at her in the darkness.

"So, why May?"

She shrugged sleepily, moving closer to him. "I don't know. It just sounds nice for a wedding… and it's soon, but gives people a little more notice than next week."

Even with her eyes closed and face smooth, Fiyero could tell she was mocking him and Fiyero chuckled quietly as he kissed her nose lightly. "Can you blame me for being a little impatient?"

Her eyes opened then and she met his gaze seriously. "No," she answered in a whisper. "You've been more than patient with me."

Fiyero didn't miss the slight note of guilt in her tone and frowned, moving so that he was leaning over her.

"Hey," he said gently, leaning down and kissing her softly. "Just because I was impatient, doesn't mean I wouldn't wait forever for you, Fae," he whispered.

"Because _you_…my beautiful, brilliant, sweet, amazing green girl; my commotion; my beautiful tragedy; my princess… are so more than worth the wait."

Tears filled Elphaba's eyes and she shivered slightly as she kissed him.

"I love you, Yero my hero. I love you so much," she murmured.

Fiyero smiled as he held her in his arms and stroked her hair to lull her to sleep. "I love you too, fiancée."

Elphaba chuckled tiredly as she wrapped herself firmly in his embrace, allowing him to ease her to sleep.

Fiyero was gone when she awoke the next morning, and Elphaba actually had to stop for a few moments and wonder whether the night before had been a dream or if it had actually happened.

Finally she'd snorted and rolled her eyes at herself.

"Yes, Elphaba, because that's the type of thing you _usually_ dream about," she muttered to herself, getting up and seeing it was already half-past ten.

She was surprised for a moment that she'd slept that long, usually if she could manage to sleep past eight that was a massive achievement for her. As she washed her face and dressed, she wondered where Fiyero could be.

It was a Saturday, and whilst it was unusual for her to sleep in, it wasn't for him. They had no plans, except for lunch at Galinda and Micah's with Corin and Elphaba could not think where he'd be.

"Good morning, Elphaba. Did you sleep well?" Kasmira greeted her warmly when she met her in the corridors.

Elphaba paused for a moment, wondering whether to mention the engagement or not.

"I did," she finally replied. "Have you seen Yero? I was surprised he was up," she laughed and Kasmira chuckled.

"So was I," she replied dryly. "He said he had something to do, I think it might have been something Ibrahim asked him to do. He said if he wasn't back before lunch, he'd meet you at Micah and Galinda's."

Elphaba relaxed at that answer and went and got some tea from the kitchens. And when she arrived at Micah and Galinda's, he hadn't arrived yet.

Galinda was eight months pregnant by then, and although she insisted miserably that she was huge, she was still actually quite small.

"Have you heard from Nessa lately?" Galinda asked her as they sat in the living room.

Elphaba nodded. "Yes, I got a letter from her the other day. She said she and Boq are hoping to come visit during the summer."

"Oh, that would be great!" Galinda said excitedly. "Early or late summer?"

"She didn't specify, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was early… like May," Elphaba replied, smiling slightly to herself.

Galinda sighed. "Good. We're planning the christening for late May or early June, so this way Nessa and Boq will be able to come!"

Elphaba laughed. "Glin, don't you have to wait until the baby's actually born before you can plan the christening?" she asked and Galinda giggled.

"That's what Micah said. I don't understand why, though. I'm due in March and we know we have to wait three months, which takes it to June- so if we have a date, why can't I make plans?"

Elphaba couldn't actually see a flaw with her logic, and said so. It was a Vinkun tradition to christen the baby three months after its birth, so Galinda's reasoning did make sense.

Corin arrived then and looked faintly surprised to see Elphaba sitting with Galinda, but no Fiyero.

"Where's Fiyero?" he asked in confusion.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Who knows?"

Micah, who had been finding a book he'd promised Elphaba she could borrow, entered the room in time to hear her question and grinned.

"Well, if he's much longer, we're not waiting for him. Lunch smells too good to wait."

He handed the book to Elphaba and sat beside his wife.

"How much longer is 'much longer'?" Corin asked hopefully and Elphaba laughed.

"Are you hungry, Corin?"

"I skipped breakfast so I'd fit in lunch," he admitted.

Galinda giggled. "The Cook will be thrillified with that praise."

"Yeah, for Corin to miss a meal purposefully is the highest form of compliment," Micah laughed. "What is that Corin? The first time since we were thirteen?"

Corin made a face at his friend. "Shut up, Micah. Hey, Elphaba, I wanted to ask- what are you doing for your birthday next month? Twenty-five, the big one!"

"I thought twenty-one was 'the big one'?" Galinda frowned.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "If I get my way, nothing. But when it comes to Fiyero and Galinda and my birthday, when do I ever get my way?"

"Is someone dreading turning twenty-five?" Corin asked her teasingly.

Galinda shuddered. "I am," she replied, making a face. She would be twenty-five the following January.

"No, I'm not dreading turning twenty-five," Elphaba answered Corin. "I just don't like a big fuss. And Glin, why in Oz's name are you dreading turning twenty-five?"

"Because, Elphie! It means I'm only five years away from being _thirty, _and _that _means I'm only thirty years away from being _sixty!"_

She looked horrified at the idea, she even had tears well up in her eyes, and Elphaba rolled her eyes, but said nothing, knowing how hormonal and emotional her best friend was.

"I wonder what's keeping Yero?" Micah wondered aloud, tactfully changing the subject.

Corin sniggered. "Maybe he ran into a bunch of teenage girls wanting to touch his hair."

The others all laughed. Fiyero had been horrified when Galinda had told Micah about Yulia's parting request, who of course had immediately told Corin. And the four of them, Elphaba included, relentlessly teased him about it.

Finally, at long last, there was a knock on the front door and Micah went to let Fiyero in.

"Where have you been, Your Highness?" Corin demanded. "Us mere peasants here have been _starving_ while you take your own sweet time getting here!"

Fiyero raised an eyebrow as he sat next to Elphaba, kissing her lingeringly which made Micah and Corin roll their eyes.

"Dude, limit the PDA please? We're about to eat," Corin complained and Fiyero ignored him.

"What, you mere peasants?"

Galinda sniffed delicately. "I should hope you're not including myself in that 'us' Corin."

"Yes, Galinda's anything but 'mere,'" Elphaba commented dryly and quickly turned to Fiyero.

"You were up early this morning."

He shrugged casually, a slight grin on his face. "There was something I had to get."

She frowned. "What?"

Fiyero reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box, which contained a delicate silver ring with a simple, beautiful diamond set on the thin band, which Elphaba noticed, was in the shape of a snowflake.

"Yero…"

"Because you love the snow," he explained. "I had to find the perfect one. Do you like it?"

She met his gaze, her eyes shining. "I love it. It's perfect."

Fiyero smiled at her softly, but then waved it teasingly before her face. "You don't get it yet though. You haven't actually said yes yet."

Elphaba only raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe that's because you haven't actually _asked _yet."

Fiyero distantly recalled his own words the night before and laughed.

"Alright, I'll give you that," he admitted.

He slipped off the couch beside her and knelt down on one knee, taking her left hand formally in his.

"Elphaba Melena Thropp, I love you more than life itself. Will you marry me?"

Elphaba smiled softly at him.

"Yes," she replied quietly, her eyes never leaving his.

Breaking into a grin, and privately thinking he could propose a million times and never get tired of it, Fiyero slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you, Fae," he said softly.

Elphaba started to say something, but then stopped, her eyes looking behind Fiyero. Confused, he turned and saw what she had. Galinda was starting at them wide-eyed, her mouth gaping wordlessly. Micah and Corin looked a little confused, but equally shocked.

As silence fell in the room, Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look.

"Galinda?" Elphaba asked her best friend cautiously and Galinda could only stare at her.

Elphaba was slightly worried and wondered if perhaps Galinda had gone into labour. "Glin, are you okay? The baby-"

"Uh, what the hell just happened?" Corin interrupted.

Fiyero realised he was still kneeling on the floor and hastily stood up to resume his seat beside Elphaba.

"Elphaba and I are getting married," he announced, feeling almost giddy at the words.

"Since when?" Micah demanded. It was perfectly obvious by the scene they'd witnessed that it had been prior to this moment.

"Last night," Fiyero admitted happily.

Elphaba was still worried about Galinda, it was so unlike her best friend to be silent for this long whilst awake.

"Glin?"

She got up and went and sat beside Galinda, reaching out and touching her arm.

Galinda turned to her then. "How could you not say anything?" she demanded, sounding hurt. "Why did you let me go on about christening plans and the baby and not mention you're getting _married?"_

"I was waiting for Fiyero!" Elphaba explained patiently. "Glin, did you really think you weren't going to be the very first person to know?" she asked gently. "You're my best friend… why do you think I'm asking you to be my matron-of-honour?"

That did it, and Galinda burst into tears of joy. "You're finally getting married!" she sobbed happily and pulled Elphaba into a tight hug.

Letting the two women have a moment, Fiyero looked over at Micah and Corin expectantly.

"You finally did it," Micah said almost in wonder, and Fiyero grinned.

"Yes, I did."

"Congratulotions, dude," he said sincerely and Fiyero was touched as his friend hugged him.

"Thanks, man."

"Took you long enough," was Corin's response and Fiyero smirked.

"Thank you, Best Man."

Corin's jaw dropped. "Really? You want me to be your best man?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yes, really. So keep… well, keep May free and we'll let you know the exact date when we pick it."

Corin was ecstatic. "Wow, thanks, Yero," he said sincerely and the two men embraced warmly.

When Corin pulled away, he looked over at Elphaba and Galinda. Galinda was still crying and Elphaba suspiciously looked as though she might be in tears too, but they were both smiling and talking softly.

Corin watched them for a moment and then sighed. "Well, this sucks royal hippogriff."

Micah and Fiyero stared at him in confusion. "This sucks what now?" Micah questioned, puzzled.

"What sucks?" Fiyero asked at the same time.

"We're not going to eat for ages now, are we?" Corin asked miserably.

**AN. Sorry, I was watching AVPM again as I wrote this.**


	38. Chapter 38

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**38**

When the engagement of Prince Fiyero to Elphaba Thropp was announced by the castle, it was naturally huge news and a cause of huge celebration all throughout the Vinkus. Ibrahim and Kasmira had been thrillified when Fiyero and Elphaba told them the news after returning from Galinda and Micah's. Nessa, when Elphaba had written to her, had replied with a short note, that was overwhelming with joy and affection and she promised that both her and Boq would be there.

Elphaba and Fiyero had a very clear idea of what kind of wedding they wanted, and the wedding plans fell into place almost alarmingly quickly. The date was set for May 28th, and it was Fiyero who had suggested the site. They would be married in the grasslands, which by then would be in full bloom with wildflowers and it pleased Elphaba that they would have a relatively simple wedding- as simple as the wedding of the Vinkun prince and princess could be.

It was only family and close friends that would be invited to the ceremony, and then government officials from all throughout Oz would be attending the reception at Kiamo Ko. For Elphaba, that meant Nessa, Boq and Galinda. But she also invited Dr Dillamond, who was thrillified to accept. Elphaba had made an exception to the guest list however, and with Fiyero's help, arranged for Amala and all of her former students from the Emiliani orphanage to attend. Of course, Galinda would be the matron-of-honour and Corin, Fiyero's best man.

Although Galinda was thrillified to be included, she was glad the timing of the wedding would give her ten weeks after her due date to "not look like a beached whale"… or so she thought. She was due at the end of March, not long after Elphaba's birthday. However, when the Vinkus moved into April, she had yet to give birth.

It was a week after her due date that the couple's maid arrived at Kiamo Ko one morning during breakfast and requested Elphaba and Fiyero's presence at the Forsyth's home. Elphaba knew immediately what that meant, and hasted Fiyero up from the table.

"What do you think she had? A boy or a girl?" he asked her as they approached the front door.

Elphaba laughed. "As much as Galinda worried over what she'd do with a boy, I don't think she or Micah particularly care. Would you care?" she asked, stopping suddenly and Fiyero smiled.

"No, I wouldn't care," he answered honestly and Elphaba looked faintly relieved.

"Ok."

They let themselves in and Elphaba led the way upstairs to Galinda's room, where she tapped lightly on the door.

"Come on in," Micah called out softly and Elphaba gently opened the door.

"Glin?"

Galinda was sitting up in bed, her blonde curls sweaty and clumped messily to her head and her face incredibly pale, but she was positively beaming.

"It's a girl!" she exclaimed happily and Elphaba laughed softly.

"Good. So all those pink clothes and accessories you've been buying for nine months won't be wasted," she teased lightly and Micah looked at his wife in bewilderment.

"You told me you hadn't bought anything!"

"Yes, well, we'll talk about that later," Galinda said dismissively, and beckoned for Elphaba to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Elphie, come here."

Elphaba obeyed and carefully inspected her goddaughter. She was Galinda all over, there was no doubt about that, there was not one feature she could pick out as Micah's.

"She's beautiful, Galinda," Elphaba said sincerely and Galinda beamed.

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked gently.

Elphaba nodded. "Definitely."

Galinda carefully handed over her daughter and Elphaba just as carefully adjusted the baby into her arms.

"How are you?" she asked Galinda who sighed.

"Exhausted, sore… happy. Elphie, I don't think I've ever been so happy," she admitted.

Elphaba smiled. "I can tell."

She looked around to where Fiyero was standing, trying to see the baby.

"Yero, come here."

Fiyero came forward slowly. He'd never really had much to do with babies before, and hadn't been exposed to the little ones at the orphanage as much as Elphaba had. But Elphaba calmly handed him the baby and Fiyero let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding as the baby girl didn't even stir, just continued sleeping.

"She's so tiny," he said in wonder and Micah nodded.

"She looks that way… but she's nearly seven pounds."

Fiyero whistled softly. "Wow. She takes after her father, then?"

"Lucky me," Galinda said dryly and Elphaba chuckled.

"So, what's her name? I assume we finally get to hear it now?"

Galinda and Micah had picked baby names out months ago, but refused to tell anyone. Fiyero and Corin had amused themselves trying to guess, but Elphaba was more amused by how every time the topic came up, Galinda would almost let them slip before stopping herself.

Galinda giggled and nodded. "This was the hardest secret I've _ever _had to keep, Elphie!" she said dramatically.

"I'm sure," Elphaba agreed. "So, what is it?"

Micah cleared his throat. "Liadan. Liadan Elphaba Forsyth."

Elphaba's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Galinda. "Glin…"

"I wanted to name her after her godmother," Galinda explained tearily and Elphaba hugged her best friend tightly.

"Thank you," she said, unable to find any other words and Galinda only hugged her tighter.

"Now you and Fiyero have to have a girl and then our daughters can be best friends!" Galinda said excitedly and Elphaba only rolled her eyes fondly.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Fiyero with Liadan in his arms, looking immensely pleased by the name choice- Elphaba didn't think he'd be any prouder if he'd picked it himself. But it was a beautiful picture he made and Elphaba felt her stomach flutter.

She'd always known that one day, Fiyero would be a wonderful father. But to actually see him with the baby in his arms…

Since Mena, Elphaba could admit the idea of falling pregnant again terrified her as much as it thrilled her. Being around the kids at the orphanage, had had the affect Fiyero had hoped for and given her some confidence in her ability as a mother; but the idea of actually being pregnant still terrified her, she couldn't bear the idea of going through what she had with Mena again. Seeing Fiyero hold Liadan made her realise how much she did want children with Fiyero, and her fears of anything going wrong with the pregnancy was nothing compared to seeing the look of amazement on her fiancée's face.

"So, are you shortening it to anything?" Fiyero asked Micah. "I mean, I'm assuming you are because Galinda shortens _everything, _but still…"

Galinda scowled at him. "Lee," she admitted.

"Lee," Fiyero repeated thoughtfully. "I like it. Lee Forsyth has a nice ring to it."

"And it's not too perky," Elphaba added and Galinda laughed.

After a few more minutes, Elphaba and Fiyero left so Galinda could get some rest. Fiyero couldn't help but notice Elphaba was very quiet as they returned to Kiamo Ko, her eyes far away in the distance.

"Fae? Are you okay?" he asked her softly, wondering if maybe it had been too hard for her to see Liadan.

Elphaba blinked up at him in surprise, she had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed her unusual silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking," she replied.

Fiyero frowned. "What about?"

Elphaba stopped and turned to him, meeting his gaze.

"I want to have a baby," she blurted out and Fiyero felt a slow grin spread across his face.

"Now?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, not _now,_" she replied. "But… soon," she admitted. "I don't think I want to wait too long after the wedding…"

She was cut off as Fiyero drew her close and kissed her.

"Are you sure?" he asked her quietly and she nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied firmly. "What do you think?"

Fiyero groaned slightly and kissed her again. "I think the next eight weeks had better go _really _fast," he answered and Elphaba chuckled.

She completely agreed.

And for her, they did. For Fiyero… not so much.

Nessa and Boq arrived at Kiamo Ko the week before the wedding and Elphaba was pleased to see her little sister looking so happy with Boq.

Nessa was so excited for Elphaba and Fiyero, and also to finally meet Liadan for the first time. Galinda was loving motherhood and wasn't subtle about dropping hints to Elphaba about how wonderfully thrillifying it would be for their children to grow up together.

Not long after Nessa and Boq arrived, so did Amala and the children from the orphanage. Yulia, Calleigh and Laryn were particularly excited that they had been invited to the wedding and to be in the Vinkus.

"So, after the wedding, will we have to call you 'Your Highness'?" Calleigh asked her.

"And curtsey?" Laryn questioned.

Elphaba grimaced at the thought. "Please don't, girls."

"You're going to be a princess!" Yulia said excitedly. "This will be the greatest story ever for our grandchildren, girls!"

"I thought you said the greatest story ever to tell your grandchildren was the time you touched Fiyero's hair?" Calleigh asked and Elphaba laughed as Yulia blushed.


	39. Chapter 39

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. For those who have asked, Liadan is pronounced Lee-uh-din. It's Irish. **

** I think this is my favourite Fiyeraba wedding I've ever written. And I couldn't help but include my favourite line from chapter 10 in here.**

**39**

When Elphaba awoke on the morning of her wedding day, she lay there for a long time. Sunshine was shining through the window and she smiled softly, glad the day would be warm.

She was in Galinda and Micah's spare room where she had spent the night before. Fiyero had pouted about having to fulfil the tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding, but Corin had arranged for the boys (Fiyero, Corin, Micah and Boq) to have Fiyero's bachelor party that night.

It was only early still, but Elphaba had no urge to get up yet. She couldn't believe that in a few hours, she would be Fiyero's wife. And after the wedding, they would be spending two weeks in their old Emerald City apartment for their honeymoon before returning for Liadan's christening. It all seemed surreal to her, as though this was a dream and she couldn't possibly be about to really marry the man she loved and become the princess of the Vinkus.

That thought was killed twenty seconds later, as the door burst open and Galinda skipped into the room, holding a gurgling Liadan in her arms.

"Morning Elphie! Happy wedding day!" she sang out. "Come on, get up! We have to start getting ready!"

Elphaba groaned, even as she sat up and held out her hands for Liadan, whom Galinda happily handed the month-old girl over to her godmother.

"Galinda, it's eight in the morning. The ceremony isn't until eleven. I'm actually slightly insulted you think I need three hours to get ready," she said teasingly.

Galinda sat on the bed and made a face. "Elphie, come on! Indulge me."

Elphaba cackled. "Galinda, I let you pick my wedding dress, against my better judgement. I let you talk me into wearing _white_, against my better judgment. I agreed to wear a veil-"

"Against your better judgement," Galinda finished for her with a roll of her eyes.

"It is _impossible_ for me to indulge you anymore," Elphaba continued.

Galinda pouted. "Elphie, come on. It's your wedding day! And I'm your bestest friend ever. Let me do your hair and make up for your wedding," she practically begged and although Elphaba rolled her eyes, she relented.

"Fine. What's first?"

"Breakfast!" Galinda replied happily.

"Breakfast?" Elphaba repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" a new voice answered.

Elphaba looked up as Nessa, Kasmira and Izanami entered the room, Izanami carrying a large tray of food. Elphaba gaped at all the food on the tray. Quite apart from being perfectly capable to get out of bed and eat at the table, there was no way she would ever be able to eat that much. She still wasn't much of a breakfast person.

Nessa saw her sister's face and laughed. "Don't worry, Fabala. It's not just for you."

"But you should eat something," Kasmira said gently. "You'll need it to get through today."

Izanami nodded in agreement. "Oh yes, definitely. Kasmira, remember that wedding we went to years ago, and the bride's stomach grumbled right in the middle of her vows? Or the one where the groom fainted because he hadn't eaten anything for two days because of nerves?"

"Iz, I think he fainted because he was still hung over from his bachelor party the night before," Kasmira replied dryly and Elphaba laughed.

"Oz, I hope Yero wasn't that brainless."

"Three years ago I might have said yes," Kasmira smiled warmly at Elphaba. "But I don't think we have to worry about Yero. Corin, however…."

Elphaba obediently picked at some toast and juice for a few minutes, as Galinda begun work on her hair. Galinda knew how much Fiyero loved Elphaba to wear her hair down, but with the dress she'd chosen for her best friend, she decided it would better for it to be up.

She carefully swept up the curls and left loose tendrils hanging down her face. She kept her makeup simple, only to emphasise her large brown eyes and made them look even larger than usual.

"Alright, Elphie! Are you ready to put your dress on?" Galinda asked as the clock began to tick closer to eleven o'clock and Elphaba handed Liadan over to Izanami, who was closest.

"Ok," she agreed, getting out of bed.

When Galinda had offered to help Elphaba pick her wedding dress, Elphaba hadn't hesitated long before agreeing. After all, Galinda had been picking dresses for her friend since Shiz and Elphaba hadn't wanted to burn any of them- yet. And if definitely saved her the trouble.

Although she had admittedly balked when Galinda had first proclaimed she had found 'The Dress' and she had seen the low cut back.

"Trust me, Elphie," Galinda had implored her and once she'd tried the dress on, Elphaba had offered no further protests.

This would be the first time Nessa, Kasmira and Izanami had seen the dress, and Galinda was looking forward to their reactions, almost as much as she was Fiyero's.

The dress was made from a soft chiffon which flowed effortlessly to the floor. It had a sweetheart neckline with demure spaghetti straps which widened at the back in a crisscross. The skirt had asymmetrical pleats and the bodice was adorned with beads and crystals. It fit Elphaba like a glove and the skirt trailed out behind her into a flowing train. Galinda carefully fitted the veil into her hair, which was soft and draping and arranged it so it was hanging down her back.

When Elphaba shyly stepped out into the room in her dress, Kasmira's eyes immediately welled up with tears when she saw her and Nessa was lost for words. Izanami was not.

"Elphaba, you look beautiful. Galinda, you certainly have incredible taste!"

"Well," Galinda shrugged modestly and Elphaba laughed.

"Fabala… you look so beautiful," Nessa whispered and Elphaba knelt down to embrace her sister tightly.

"Thank you, Nessie."

Kasmira smiled tearily. "Just needs one finishing touch," she said and Elphaba and Nessa exchanged small frowns.

The queen left the room and returned moments later with a box in her hands.

"Here you go," she said.

Quizzically, Elphaba lifted the lid to see a beautiful silver diamond tiara with seven hanging teardrop crystals. Her breath caught and she looked up at Kasmira in awe.

"I don't-"

"It's the official tiara of the Vinkun princess," Kasmira said softly. "This was passed down to me on my wedding day by Fiyero's grandmother. And now it's yours."

She lifted it out of the box and gently fitted it onto her head. It felt completely foreign and it suddenly made the reality of her new position that much more real to Elphaba.

"Thank you," Elphaba managed to say, her throat constricted and Kasmira turned to the other girls.

"Could we have a moment?" she asked them and Izanami nodded understandingly, ushering Galinda and Nessa from the room.

Once they were alone, Kasmira hugged Elphaba tightly, much to her surprise.

"I can't tell you how grateful Ibrahim and I are to you, Elphaba," she said softly.

Elphaba didn't know what to say, and she couldn't stop herself from blushing.

"I didn't do anything," she protested but Kasmira shook her head.

"Yes, you did," she said firmly. "And Ibrahim and I are so happy and proud of what you and Fiyero have become as a couple. We couldn't be happier to finally have you as a part of our family."

Elphaba had to fight back tears as she returned the queen's hug.

"Thank you," she whispered and Kasmira kissed her cheek.

"You're more than welcome, sweetheart."

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Galinda burst in excitedly. "Elphie! Something just arrived for you!"

Bewildered, Elphaba followed her friend out of the room where she saw Nessa and Izanami examining a large white box that had just arrived.

"What is it?" she asked them.

"We don't know," Izanami replied holding it out to her.

"It must be the flowers," Nessa said practically.

Elphaba and Galinda's bouquets were being specially made and had yet to arrive, so Nessa's theory made sense. Elphaba had kept her bouquet simple, only carrying a small bunch of some of Fiyero's favourite wildflowers, and Galinda a smaller bunch of the same.

Curious, Elphaba opened the lid and drew in her breath.

"That's not what you ordered, is it?" Galinda asked, looking over her friend's shoulder and Elphaba shook her head.

"No."

Nessa looked horrified. "They made a mistake? That's awful!"

Elphaba laughed. "It was no mistake, Nessie."

Kasmira frowned slightly. "I don't understand, Elphaba."

"Fiyero," was all she said as she lifted the flowers up.

It was a bouquet of 10 red roses combined with ivy and stephanotis. Attached was a small card in Fiyero's handwriting.

"_I love you, Fae. Happy Wedding Day."_

"10 roses," Nessa murmured thoughtfully, recalling Elphaba and Fiyero's one year anniversary and the flowers he'd had delivered.

"That means something, doesn't it?"

"You are perfect," Elphaba whispered, blinking back sudden tears.

"And what are the others?" Galinda asked her eyes wide.

"Stephanotis means 'happy in marriage'," Izanami answered. "And ivy means 'wedded love'."

Nessa smiled at her older sister. "Typical Fiyero."

Elphaba only laughed.

As they headed out to the carriage that would take them to the grasslands for the ceremony, Galinda turned to Elphaba, who was suddenly looking very pale.

"Elphie, are you okay?"

"Um…" was all Elphaba could say and Galinda pulled her to a stop, looking concerned.

"Elphaba, what is it?"

Elphaba swallowed hard. "Glin, it was hard enough for me to walk down the aisle at _your _wedding, with everyone staring at me…. But now… and to have to say my vows… I'm not good at telling people how I feel."

"Yes, you are," Galinda said gently. "When it really counts, you are. You've proven that since you've been with Fiyero, Elphie. And I promise you, it's not that scary walking down the aisle."

Elphaba managed a weak smile. "It's strange. I almost wish my father was here, just so at least I wouldn't be worried about falling over. I don't think even he'd let me faint whilst walking down the aisle," she laughed nervously.

Then she sighed. "I don't understand. Why am I so nervous? _You _weren't… you were so calm."

Galinda hugged her comfortingly. "It's perfectly normal to be nervous, Elphie. And once you get there and see Fiyero, everything will be fine," she promised.

But the blonde couldn't help but notice how Elphaba's hands trembled slightly during the whole carriage ride, and her face remained a far paler shade of emerald than usual.

"Elphie, wait here," she ordered her friend once the carriage pulled to a stop.

Elphaba was surprised and confused, but agreed. Once Galinda had descended, she handed Liadan to Izanami.

"Thank you for minding her during the ceremony, Izanami," she said gratefully, and Izanami smiled.

"Not at all, dearie. She'll be perfectly fine with me."

Galinda kissed the top of her daughter's head and then straightened her pale pink dress.

"Alright. I only need a minute- there's one last thing I want to do," she said quietly to Kasmira who nodded.

Elphaba was concentrating on taking deep breaths when the carriage door suddenly opened, startling her. Galinda was beaming at her, and Micah was standing right behind her.

"Micah? What are you doing here?" Elphaba asked, bewildered.

Micah exchanged a grin with his wife. "I am here, Your Highness, to escort you down the aisle."

Elphaba's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Galinda nodded as she explained. "I thought it might make you feel better, having someone with you… to keep you from falling over."

Elphaba felt an overwhelming rush of affection for her best friend, but looked at Micah hesitantly.

"Micah, are you sure-?"

Micah grinned. "Elphaba, I'd be honoured," he said sincerely and Elphaba gave a small smile in return.

"Alright then," she agreed.

Micah gently moved Galinda aside and held out his hand to Elphaba. "Shall we?"

As Fiyero stood at the altar, his stomach felt almost jittery with nervous and tense excitement. Words could not describe how he was feeling that day… which was part of the reason for his nerves. And Corin was not helping.

"You should have written down your vows. What if you forget them?" he asked innocently and Fiyero glared at him.

"_Dude!_ Not helping! Are you going to make me regret asking you to be Best Man? It's not too late to replace you with Micah," he warned.

Corin raised an eyebrow. "Says the man who abandoned Micah at his own wedding to go see his girlfriend."

"Hey, I went to fetch the bride!" Fiyero defended himself. "The fact my girlfriend happened to be the maid of honour was just an added perk. I went above and beyond the call of duty for Best Man. I brought the bride to the groom to ensure there was a wedding!"

Corin snorted sceptically. "Yeah, alright. You keep telling yourself that… do you think Elphaba will turn up?"

"Corin!" Fiyero exclaimed in exasperation, and Corin held up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry! Trying to ease the tension a little."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Oz, where's Micah?" he asked in a stage mutter so that Corin could hear.

"Micah's previously engaged," Kasmira said as she approached her son.

Fiyero frowned. "What do you mean, Mom?"

Kasmira smiled as she embraced him tightly. "He's offered to walk Elphaba down the aisle," she explained and Fiyero was both surprised and touched.

"Really? Why? Is Fae okay?"

Kasmira nodded reassuringly. "She's fine, Yero. She's here and ready."

Fiyero felt a thrill run through him. Elphaba was here. In a few minutes, they would be married….

Fiyero's blissful thoughts were interrupted by Corin elbowing him in the ribs. "Oh well, bad luck Yero. I guess you're stuck with me."

Fiyero grinned at him. "I guess I could do worse," he teased.

There seemed to be a sudden change in the air as the vicar moved into his position and Kasmira and Ibrahim took their seats in the front row, his mother already suspiciously misty-eyed. The string quartet began to play and Fiyero's eyes snapped forward to the end of the aisle.

He barely even saw Galinda walk down the aisle, his gaze seemed to drift through her, searching for any sign of green or white. Fiyero had known that Galinda had 'helped' Elphaba pick her dress and in the past three months had imagined just what Elphaba would look like as a bride. And he thought he'd done a relative good job of preparing himself mentally and emotionally for that moment when he'd first see Elphaba in her wedding dress on their wedding day.

The second he saw her, he realised how pathetically far his imagination had fallen below reality. She looked more beautiful than he had ever imagined, and Fiyero immediately forgot that anyone else was there, that it wasn't just him and Elphaba. The sunlight was shining on her, making her hair shine and her emerald skin glow. Fiyero faintly registered that she was clutching Micah's hand, and she seemed paler than usual, which made her look even more lovely.

As her eyes found his, she looked uncharacteristically shy and Fiyero remembered seeing a similar look in her eyes when they'd first begun dating, which made him smile slightly. He'd always found it so strange that Elphaba would be shy around him, when she was so confident in every other area of her life. And now here she was, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and she was going to be his- officially. Forever.

As she slowly came towards him, Fiyero had to swallow hard around the lump in his throat. It had taken a long time for Elphaba to accept him telling her that she was beautiful, but today, that seemed too less a word to describe how amazing she looked and how incredibly lucky he was that he should get to spend forever with her. He saw her clutching her bouquet, the one he'd chosen carefully for her and could only smile, completely lost for words.

Fiyero didn't even acknowledge Micah or take his eyes off his bride as she finally was standing before him. He reached out and extended his hand and felt Elphaba slip her own hand into his, entwining her fingers tightly with his.

Simply unable to help himself as she turned to face him at the altar in front of the vicar after handing her bouquet to Galinda to hold, Fiyero leaned forward and kissed Elphaba gently. Not expecting the kiss, she wasn't ready for it and a breath caught in her throat and it was only when the vicar cleared his throat pointedly that Fiyero pulled away.

"Your Highness, that part usually comes at the _end _of the ceremony," he said not unkindly and there was gentle laughter from the guests as Elphaba blushed.

"I'm not sorry," Fiyero murmured so that only Elphaba could hear and she chuckled quietly.

Elphaba and Fiyero had chosen to write their own vows, and that was what had caused most of Elphaba's sudden onset of nerves that morning.

But she forced herself not to think about that just yet and to focus on Fiyero, as the vicar nodded to him to begin and he took her hands firmly in his.

"I… I used to be an ass," he began bluntly and Elphaba raised an eyebrow, not sure where he was going with this.

"I didn't care about anything other than having fun, and I knew I could get away with anything," he admitted. "I was young, I was an idiot, the last thing I wanted to do was to have to grow up and accept the responsibility of ruling a kingdom. And even though I wasn't happy… I was really good at pretending I was. Or so I thought… until I met you.

You have no idea…" Fiyero trailed off momentarily before shaking his head. "You have _no _idea what having you in my life has done. You- you saved me, Fae," he said quietly and Elphaba blushed again. "I don't know where I'd be now if I hadn't have met you, hadn't fallen so completely head over heels in love with you… and I am so thankful for you every moment of every day. All the most important things in my life are all because of you, and are all for you. I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone as amazing as you, and I will _never _be able to tell you how much I love you."

Fiyero's voice shook as he looked into Elphaba's eyes, and he didn't even care that he had tears in his eyes. It was like it was just the two of them, he wasn't aware of anyone else around, and he didn't think about what he was saying, all that mattered was trying to tell Elphaba how grateful he was for her.

"We've been through so much, green girl," he said, thinking of Mena and knew Elphaba was too. "And you just… continually amaze me with your strength through it all. You are the strongest person I've ever met and I love you for what you've done for me- for us. Because I know how much effort it's taken you to let me in and what a risk that was for you. And that just shows how much you love me and trust me, and I wish I could find some way to show you the same thing.

I've wanted to marry you for so long, Fae. From the day I fell in love with you, I knew my life was with you…. I would have married you from that day with the Lion Cub if I could have. And now, here we are… and you look so beautiful and I can't believe that I get lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with Elphaba Thropp and have her love me. Every day, I think it's impossible that I could love you any more than I do, but then you do something or say something every day, and I fall just a little bit more in love with you.

I can't use just a single word to describe what you are to me, and I've told you most of them. You're my best friend, my soul mate, my conscience, my light, my life... and I _finally_ get to add my princess and my wife to that list. You are my everything, and I promise you, Elphaba… for the rest of my life, I will love you. For as long as you're mine, I will love you and honour you and cherish every moment we have together. And most importantly, I promise to always, _always, _make you proud to be my wife."

That last sentence, said so solemnly and fiercely, was enough to make Elphaba's tears, which she had been steadfastly holding back all the time Fiyero was talking, spill over. He gently lifted a hand and wiped away the few tears running down her green cheek, forgetting his own tears; and Elphaba fought silently to regain her composure, so she could speak her own vows.

"You're the best thing in my life," she said simply, her voice trembling. "And nothing has ever scared as me as much as falling in love with you. I've never had that many people in my life and I was scared that my own flaws were bound to screw this up eventually, because I never believed I ever really deserved to be happy. I didn't want to lose you in my life, and if that meant having to pretend I didn't love you, I would have. And then… you said something to me, on our first date. You asked me 'what if this didn't end'? And that idea had never occurred to me, because I was sure that soon enough… you'd see in me what I see… what I _saw_," she corrected herself which made Fiyero's heart swell with love and pride to see how far she'd come.

"What I saw every time I looked in the mirror and you'd ask yourself what in Oz's name you were doing with the Artichoke. But I had to take that chance… I told myself to trust you and believe that I was right all the times I told you that you weren't as brainless as you used to pretend to be. And there were times… it scared me because we seemed to fall into everything so naturally. That we got so serious, so fast… it seemed too good to be true. And then one day it occurred to me… maybe what was happening, was not that you would see what I saw in me… but that I would see what _you_ see in me."

Elphaba swallowed hard before continuing, feeling Fiyero's hand entwined with hers and giving her the strength to get the words out.

"Before I met you, before I loved you… you know what my childhood was like, what my life was like. And you say that I'm strong… but I never felt strong. I just felt alone. And I'd been angry and shaken, just trying to get from one day to the next. It was just easier to keep everyone away, because no one had ever tried to get close to me. I truly believed that because I was born the way that I was... that I was being punished for something, that it was a sign that I didn't deserve to be happy, or loved... and the idea that I was wrong scared me. And I didn't even realise that trying to stop an innocent Lion Cub from being tormented and oppressed would lead me to you. I was just trying to do what was right, and it led me into your hands.

You asked me once…. Why were you the only one I didn't do it to? And I couldn't answer you, because I couldn't bring myself for so long to admit that I loved you, because I thought there was no way you could ever love me…"

Elphaba's voice trailed off and she stifled a sob.

"I kept telling myself that the very idea of you loving me was completely ridiculous, because I was the way I am... because we were so different. But the more I got to know you, the real you, and not that shallow, self-absorbed playboy prince that everyone else believed you were... I saw that we weren't that different after all. But it seemed so stupid to wish for anything more than your friendship... because I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl, I'd never even imagined myself as beautiful until I started to see myself through your eyes. It started off as a joke… me calling you 'Yero my hero'… because you swore to protect me against anyone saying anything derogatory about my skin," she laughed lightly and Fiyero smiled in return, the memory of a conversation in Munchkinland coming back to him.

"But it's true. For so long now, I've known that you are the person you will always be there for me when I need you… even when I don't think I do. You're the best person I know and I love you with all my heart," she whispered, her voice breaking and it took all Fiyero's willpower not to kiss her there and then.

The exchange of rings was a blur, Fiyero was just hanging out for that one moment, that one line… and then finally, it came.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss-"

Their lips met before he'd even finished saying it, and it was not a gentle kiss like their first had been. Fiyero pulled Elphaba to him and kissed her urgently, his arms slipping around her waist and he had to suppress a shudder as his hands found her bare back, and he drew her even closer. It was the type of long, intense kiss that left Galinda and Corin exchanging awkward glances and Yulia, Laryn and Calleigh watching wide-eyed even as tears streamed down their cheeks, and the guests watched awkwardly, unsure how to react or what to do, as complete silence filled the grassland.

"I love you," Fiyero murmured hoarsely, when he finally pulled away for some much needed air, and the guests began to applaud hesitantly.

Elphaba kept her hands on the side of his face, her eyes dark with intensity. "I will _always _be proud to be your wife, Yero," she whispered breathlessly and Fiyero kissed her again in response.

**AN. Again, there will be a link on my profile to see Elphaba's wedding dress- hopefully.**


	40. Chapter 40

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul. **

**AN. The song in this chapter is "Inside Your Heaven" by Carrie Underwood.**

**I'm glad everyone loved the wedding- I literally wrote the vows 4 times, wanting them to be perfect. And i was having so much fun I didn't want the wedding to be over yet- so it continues!**

**Btw, Yulia, Layrn and Calleigh? Totally me and my cousins at my uncle's wedding back in April. My uncle was ready to kill us by the end of the reception, LOL.**

**40**

Galinda's makeup was completely destroyed, she'd been crying so much during the ceremony. And she wasn't the only one, Kasmira, Nessa and Izanami were all red-eyed as they congratulated the bride and groom after they had "finally managed to tear yourselves apart for three minutes," as Corin had put it.

Fiyero couldn't care less, he was ecstatic that at long last, he could call Elphaba his wife. And it was obvious.

"What do you think is higher than cloud nine?" Boq asked Nessa with a grin.

She frowned. "What? I don't know… cloud ten? Why?"

"Because I think that's where Fiyero is," the Munchkin laughed and Nessa giggled.

"He's wanted to marry Fabala for a long time," she said softly.

Elphaba had been talking with her old students and Amala, accepting their congratulotions. She beamed as she turned to see Dr Dillamond.

"Dr Dillamond! Thank you so much for coming," she said sincerely, embracing the old Goat tightly.

Dr Dillamond smiled warmly. "I would not have missed this for all the corn in Munchkinland," he assured her and Elphaba laughed.

"I'm glad."

When Ibrahim found her, he kissed her cheek softly and smiled at her. "Kasmira and I always wanted a daughter," he said quietly. "But we weren't blessed with one. And now we know why, because we were waiting for Fiyero to find you."

Tears stung Elphaba's eyes as she hugged her new father-in-law tightly, unable to speak.

Meanwhile, Galinda and Micah were talking with Izanami about Elphaba's new status, after retrieving their daughter from her.

"So, it's Princess Elphaba… I can't get away with hoping Princess Elphie will become a thing?" Galinda asked her husband.

"The whole of the Vinkus is not going to call her Princess _Elphie_," Izanami said, looking horrified.

"Thank Oz for that," Elphaba herself said, joining the group.

"Actually," Micah chimed in. "Her official title is Her Royal Highness, Princess Elphaba Melena Tiggular, Princess of the Vinkus."

Elphaba made a face. "Can I shorten that?" she asked hopefully.

"How about Mrs Tiggular?" Fiyero asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Elphaba laughed. It sounded so foreign to her, but she loved it and the feeling rippled through her as he said it.

"I much prefer that," she replied softly and he kissed her temple softly.

"Is anyone else starving, or is that just me?" he asked suddenly and they all laughed.

The reception was held at Kiamo Ko, and when Elphaba and Fiyero arrived, they knew a dining hall full of people awaited them. These were all the major Government officials and high society Vinkuns that the royal family had a duty to invite, but Elphaba and Fiyero had not wanted a bunch of strangers at their wedding ceremony.

"Ready?" Fiyero asked her, just before they entered.

Elphaba smiled, her eyes shining. "I'm ready."

The one area of wedding planning Fiyero had really been interested in was the menu. He had been determined, that for at least one formal function at the castle, he would sit down to dinner and be able to recognise everything that was on his plate. Although Elphaba had only rolled her eyes, she had agreed and Fiyero was happy with the results.

But for the rest of her life, Elphaba would never remember much of the reception. It was all such a dizzying blur of photos, food, mingling with people she didn't really know and dancing. She did remember Ibrahim and Kasmira standing up and formally welcoming her to their family, and the Prime Minister, Micah's father, toasting her as the Princess of the Vinkus.

She'd removed her veil before she and Fiyero took to the dance floor for their first waltz as man and wife, not just to make it easier on them both, but because it was starting to pull a little on her scalp. But the tiara remained, which Fiyero couldn't stop grinning every time he saw it.

"What?" she'd demanded after the umpteenth time.

He shook his head slightly. "Nothing. I just think a tiara quite suits you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Calleigh, Laryn and Yulia made loving nuisances of themselves, leading the rest of the children and the guests in the tapping of their forks against their glasses, calling for Fiyero and Elphaba to kiss every ten minutes- which Fiyero was quite happy to go along with much to Elphaba's exasperation.

All in all, it was late when Elphaba and Fiyero finally left their wedding reception. Fiyero assumed they would be going straight to bed, so he was surprised when Elphaba tugged on his hand to make him stop walking.

He turned to her and drew her into his arms, kissing her lightly. "What's up, Mrs Tiggular?" he asked softly and she laughed, before kissing him softly.

"Well, Mr Tiggular… I have a wedding present for you."

Fiyero drew back and raised an eyebrow in interest. "Does this wedding present involve you not wearing clothes?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fiyero!"

He grinned. "Can't blame a guy for asking," he shrugged. "So, what is it?"

She smiled mysteriously, and a little nervously. "Come with me."

She led him through the castle halls, until they reached an old and rarely used music room, that had been built in Kiamo Ko for Fiyero's grandmother many years ago, but not often used since her death. No one in the Tiggular family really had any musical talent- until now, Fiyero thought proudly, glancing at Elphaba.

There wasn't much in the room, just a couch and a few end tables, but the focus of the room was the beautiful grand piano. Fiyero shut and locked the door behind him, more than a little curious now.

"Fae?" he asked gently, seeing how nervous Elphaba was.

She hesitated, then shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. Let's just go," she said and made to move past him to open the door.

Fiyero quickly reached out and stilled her gently. "Fae, tell me," he prodded her gently and Elphaba took a deep breath.

"I found this room a few weeks ago," she said softly, moving away and walking around the room, trailing one emerald hand softly on the piano's smooth surface.

Fiyero stood there in silence, content to watch her. In the dim lighting, moving around the room in her wedding dress, the train flowing out behind her, and the little light there was in the room glinting off the tiara atop her head and her emerald skin glowing, she looked ethereal and Fiyero was completely entranced that this was his _wife_.

"Your mom brought someone in for its annual tune up," she said with a faint smile and Fiyero laughed.

"Yeah, she does that. It's like she thinks she'll magically be able to play if the piano is tuned."

Elphaba giggled softly. "Well, she gave it to me."

Fiyero was stunned. "She gave you the room?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah… she was talking about putting in bookshelves and redecorating… so I have a room that's mine," she explained and Fiyero felt a rush of affection for his mother.

"That's great, Fae. So… uh, what's my present?"

Elphaba laughed. "Well, I was thinking. When she said it was mine, I was just… amazed. And then it occurred to me…"

She finally stilled in her path around the room and turned to look at him. "You haven't heard me play in a while."

Fiyero's eyes lit up as he realised what she was nervously getting to. "Not since Munchkinland," he said softly. He wasn't counting any time he'd heard her singing quietly as she cooked.

She nodded. "I know. So, I thought maybe… but I can't."

"Why not?" Fiyero asked her gently and she grimaced, blushing slightly.

"I just can't. Not now. Not with you watching me."

Fiyero found it endearing that here they were, _married_, and she was still shy about the idea of letting him hear her sing.

"Elphaba, please?" he asked her softly, then had an idea. "I'll turn the lights off! Do you need light to play?"

Elphaba hesitated. "Not much," she admitted.

Fiyero quickly moved around the room, and extinguished the little light there was. Then he lit a single candle and placed it atop of the piano to light the keys.

"Better?"

"Yes," Elphaba said slowly.

Fiyero moved back from the instrument and sat down on an armchair, a reasonable distance from his wife.

"See, you won't even see me watching you," he said with a grin and Elphaba chuckled.

"Ok," she agreed finally and Fiyero watched as she sat down at the piano, removed her shoes and then began to pluck out a melody, for the first time in years, singing and playing for no other reason than she wanted to.

"I've been down

Now I'm blessed,

I felt a revelation coming around.

I guess it's right, it's so amazing

Every time I see you I'm alive.

You're all I've got

You lift me up.

The sun and the moonlight

All my dreams are in your eyes.

I wanna be inside your heaven

Take me to the place you cry from,

Where the storm blows your way.

I wanna be the earth that holds you

Every bit of air you're breathin' in

A soothin' wind,

I wanna be inside your heaven.

When we touch, when we love

The stars light up,

The wrong becomes undone.

Naturally, my soul surrenders

The sun and the moonlight,

All my dreams are in your eyes.

And I wanna be inside your heaven

Take me to the place you cry from,

Where the storm blows you away.

And I wanna be the earth that holds you

Every bit of air you're breathing in

A soothing wind,

I wanna be inside your heaven.

When minutes turn to days and years

If mountains fall, I'll still be here

Holdin' you until the day I die.

And I wanna be inside your heaven

Take me to the place you cry from

Where the storm blows you away.

I wanna be inside your heaven

Take me to the place you cry from

Where the storm blows you away.

I wanna be the earth that holds you

Every bit of air you're breathin' in

A soothin' wind,

I wanna be inside your heaven.

Oh yes I do

I wanna be inside your heaven."

It was just as haunting, if not more so, than the first time he'd heard her sing in Munchkinland. Maybe because he felt, he _knew_, that this song was for him, that this was Elphaba's way of saying how she felt.

Because the room was so dark and she was so focused on what she was doing, Elphaba didn't even see him move. But mere seconds after the final notes were fading into silence, Fiyero was suddenly beside her, capturing her lips in an urgent kiss. Elphaba didn't protest until he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the sofa.

"Yero-"

"The door's locked," was all he said, already quickly fumbling to remove her dress and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"That's nice to know, but it's not what I was going to say."

Fiyero grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, green girl. What were you going to say?"

Elphaba smiled softly. "I love you."

Fiyero kissed her gently. "I love you. Thank you for marrying me, Fae."

She stared at him for a moment in amazement, then shook her head. "You're an idiot," she whispered and Fiyero only laughed as he kissed her once more.


	41. Chapter 41

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. I don't really know what to say... 449 reviews... I am so completely amazed at the response to this story. I honestly never expected this and I am just... thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed and read this story. And we still have three more chapters to go! I hope you enjoy them. **

**41**

Kasmira had been very serious about giving Elphaba the music room for her own use, and spent the whole summer going over decorating suggestions and making it perfect for her. Elphaba was touched by the gesture- whilst more than used to Fiyero spoiling her, she was still getting used to it from Ibrahim and Kasmira.

And although being officially married meant Elphaba was busy with her new royal duties, she and Fiyero still felt as though they were on their honeymoon. Ibrahim and Kasmira had also promised them they could leave the Vinkus whenever they needed some time alone, either to the Emerald City to the apartment that was now theirs- a wedding present from the king and queen; or to Munchkinland, as they knew it was easier for them to go there, rather than for Nessa to get away from Muchkinland.

It was mid-October when Corin delivered invitations to Elphaba and Fiyero, inviting them to a party he was throwing in two weeks.

"Black tie? What's the occasion?" Fiyero asked his friend, looking at the invitation.

Corin shrugged. "Do I need an occasion to throw a party?"

"How formal are we talking here?" Elphaba asked and Corin shrugged.

"There are different scales of formalwear?"

Elphaba grinned. "Yes and don't let Galinda hear you suggest otherwise," she warned.

Unfortunately for him, Corin didn't heed that warning, and thus had to endure a twenty minute lecture on the differing types of formalwear.

But Fiyero burst out laughing when he and Elphaba arrived at Corin's home the night of the party, and Corin greeted them with a top hat on his head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was a costume party," Elphaba greeted him and Corin frowned.

"Huh?"

"Dude, you look like the Wizard of Oz," Fiyero told him bluntly- even if no one, or few, had actually _seen _the Wizard, it was well known that he had arrived in Oz in a hot air balloon and wearing a top hat, which had never been seen in Oz prior to his arrival.

Corin grinned.

"Well, I'm going to take that as a compliment- our wonderful Wizard being the whiz of a wiz he is, if ever a wiz there was!"

Elphaba laughed and went to greet Galinda.

Corin was the "master of throwing parties", according to his own standards, but Elphaba had to give him credit where credit was due. After a while, Elphaba and Galinda strolled outside to the patio. Galinda was telling Elphaba all about how Liadan had sat up on her own that morning. She was incredibly proud of her daughter's achievement, but at the same time, very emotional about how fast she was growing up.

"Have you and Micah talked about maybe having another child?" Elphaba asked her best friend, who sighed.

"Yes. We've agreed to wait a year or so…"

"You sound enthusiastic about that decision," Elphaba teased her and Galinda laughed.

"He's right, I know he is," she admitted. "I just… I loved being pregnant. And I love being a mother. And you know me, Elphie, I've never been very good at waiting," she laughed.

Elphaba chuckled. "I know. That's why you get along so well with my husband."

"Talking about me, wife? Good things I hope," Fiyero said cheerfully, coming from nowhere with Corin behind him.

"Maybe," Elphaba smiled, turning to face him.

Fiyero laughed. "Do you want some?" he asked her, offering her one of the pastries in his hand.

"Thanks," she accepted it from him and took a bite.

"So, who's baby-sitting tonight?" Fiyero asked Galinda.

"Micah's parents. I'm so glad they live nearby, but I do feel bad that Momsie and Popsicle don't get to see Lee that often. We're going there for Lurlinemas this year, it's going to be thrillifying."

Fiyero nodded. "Fae and I are going to Munchkinland."

Corin groaned. "So, I'm going to be the only one here for Lurlinemas? That sucks!"

"What sucks?" Micah asked, joining them.

"All you married people deserting me on the holidays," Corin scowled. "The most wonderful time of the year and I'm going to be all alone with no one to celebrate it with but my _family_!"

Elphaba smiled in amusement at Corin's dramatics, which could almost rival Galinda's or Fiyero's at times, but her smile was a little forced. She was suddenly feeling slightly queasy.

"Elphaba, are you okay?" Micah asked her quietly and she nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks. I just need something to drink, I think... to wash down the pastry."

"I'll get you something," Micah offered.

He went and got her a glass of wine and handed it to her.

Elphaba took a sip slowly, but as soon as she did, her stomach revolted on her and she lurched, grabbing onto Fiyero's arm tightly.

He steadied her, his blue eyes dark with concern. "Fae? Are you okay?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured, her face pale.

Galinda jumped forward in concern. "Come on, Elphie, we'll go to the bathroom."

Elphaba nodded, but as her stomach churned, she knew that was too far.

"No time," she gasped, one hand covering her mouth, the other on her queasy stomach.

Fiyero looked around quickly and abruptly grabbed the top hat of Corin's head and held it out to Elphaba just in time for her to throw up into it.

Corin just gaped in horror, staring at Fiyero as he gently supported Elphaba, who was retching miserably into the hat. When she'd emptied the contents of her stomach and was shakily wiping her mouth, Galinda silently handed her friend a napkin, which she accepted gratefully.

"Thanks, Glin."

Fiyero helped her to sit on the railing of the patio balcony, then took the hat off her, hesitated for a moment, and then half-heartedly handed the hat back to Corin.

"Er, here you go, Corin."

Corin looked at Fiyero for a moment, not saying anything. "No, thanks."

"Sorry," Elphaba murmured, blood flushing her pale, sweaty face but Corin shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Elphaba. It's not your fault," he reassured her gently. "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I… I felt fine… until a few moments ago. I don't know what happened."

Fiyero held a hand against her forehead, checking for fever.

"You don't feel warm, green girl. Any other symptoms?"

"No, Yero, I feel fine now," she assured him softly. "But… could we go home?"

"Sure, honey," he replied immediately.

He helped her stand, and she squeezed Corin's hand lightly. "Thank you for inviting us, Corin."

"I hope you feel better, Elphaba," he replied sincerely and Elphaba smiled.

"So do I."

Elphaba slept heavily that night, but when she awoke the next morning, she had to bolt from the breakfast table where she spent the next fifteen minutes being violently ill.

Fiyero was right behind her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back soothingly.

"Maybe I should send for the doctor," he said worriedly, as he helped her back to bed afterwards.

Elphaba was quiet for a moment. "I think I know what's wrong, but maybe you should send for Iz instead."

Fiyero was startled. "Auntie Iz?"

Elphaba leaned against her pillows and looked up to meet his worried gaze.

"Yero, what if I'm pregnant?"

Fiyero's eyes widened. That idea hadn't even occurred to him, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

"When did you think of that?" he asked her in awe, sitting down on the bed.

"About seven minutes into throwing up breakfast," Elphaba said quietly, closing her eyes.

Fiyero gently took her hand in his. "And how do you feel about that idea?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes to meet his, and he was surprised to see unshed tears shining in her eyes.

"Happy… scared," she whispered. "Yero, what if-?"

Fiyero knew what she was about to say and shook his head, cutting her off by leaning forward and kissing her softly.

"Don't do this to yourself, Fae," he murmured. "Why don't I go send someone for Auntie Iz, and we'll go from there?"

"Ok," she agreed nervously.

Elphaba was tempted to say the one thing that was circling around her mind the whole time they were waiting for Izanami to arrive, but she didn't dare speak it. But she couldn't help but reflect that if something _was_ to happen, at least she had known this time… had symptoms.

When Izanami arrived and Elphaba explained her symptoms and her suspicion, Izanami knew immediately what it meant to both Elphaba and Fiyero and what they both must be going through.

"Alright, Elphaba," she said gently. "Why don't I have a look and see what's going on?"

Elphaba clutched Fiyero's hand tightly as Izanami carefully examined her and asked her a few questions. Finally, when she'd finished, she sat down on the bed and looked at them.

"Well, Auntie Iz?" Fiyero asked anxiously, keeping a tight grip on Elphaba's hand.

Izanami broke into a soft smile at she met Elphaba's terrified gaze.

"If I had to estimate, Elphaba, I'd say you were about nine weeks pregnant."

Elphaba's hand flew to her stomach immediately, her and lip trembled slightly. "Really?"

"Really. Congratulotions, sweetheart. I'll give you two a few moments alone."

"Thank you, Iz," Elphaba said softly.

When she'd left and they were alone, she turned to look at Fiyero. "What do you think?"

A slow grin spread over Fiyero's face and he leaned down and kissed her. "I think I love you."

"You think?" she teased lightly and he chuckled.

Then her smile faded and the look of panic reappeared in her eyes. "I'm scared," she confessed and Fiyero's face softened as he kissed her again, more gently.

"I know, green girl. No matter what happens, we're going to get through this. I promise you that, okay?"

"Ok," she whispered and he drew her into his arms, and she rested her head against his chest.

"So… do you want to tell people, or do you want to wait a while?" he asked her after a moment and Elphaba hesitated.

"Maybe… maybe if we just tell a few people. Just for now… just in case," she said slowly.

Fiyero nodded. "So, my parents, Galinda and Micah and Corin? What about Nessa and Boq?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No. Nessa will just worry more than I am… if everything's okay at Lurlinemas we'll tell them then."

"Ok," Fiyero agreed.

There was a long silence, and then Elphaba felt Fiyero smiling against the top of her head.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked him, staring up at him.

He met her gaze and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, then her nose, then her lips.

"Because. We're going to have a baby," he said simply and despite her worries and fears, Elphaba smiled back at him.


	42. Chapter 42

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. I just had to tell this story: Ok, so I've mentioned before that Jemma Rix is the Australian Elphaba (and awesome). Anyway, she and her husband were in New York this week and went to a karaoke bar for his birthday and Jemma sang "defying gravity". The original Chistery was there and came up to her afterwards to compliment her! So, yay for Jemma!**

**Anyway, I noticed a lot of you commented that you saw the pregnancy coming... you were kind of supposed to :D You may have seen this coming too... or not. But I'm glad you're all happy with the news... I just liked writing the party and the bit with the top hat. (I have no idea where that came from, btw- more random than the Vinkun wildflowers!)**

**42**

As the carriage rolled to a stop outside the Governor's house in Munchkinland, Fiyero glanced over to Elphaba and raised an eyebrow.

"You ready for this, green girl?"

Elphaba nodded, a faint smile on her face.

"Nessa's going to die."

"Not literally, I hope," Fiyero laughed and Elphaba giggled, one hand where it often was now, on her stomach.

Fiyero had never seen Elphaba act more careful as she had since October. Absolutely terrified and paranoid that something she might do could cause her to lose the baby, she had been careful to eat right, sleep well and not over do anything. They had all understood her reasons why, but had all been relieved a few weeks ago when Elphaba had officially entered her second trimester and begun to relax.

She was already showing visibly, her stomach curving softly, despite the fact she was still suffering from morning sickness. And now that they were going to be in Munchkinland for Lurlinemas, Elphaba had decided to break the news of the pregnancy to her sister.

Those that had been told were all euphoric over the news. Galinda had squealed so loud she almost burst Fiyero's ear drum before throwing herself on Elphaba in a huge hug. Ibrahim had appeared suspiciously teary-eyed, and Kasmira had already begun clearing out and renovating the room next to Elphaba and Fiyero's bedroom for the nursery.

They'd all agreed that they would make the announcement to the people after Lurlinemas, provided everything was alright.

Nessa was so excited to have her sister and Fiyero home for the holidays, and as Fiyero was taking their luggage upstairs, Nessa insisted Elphaba tell her all her news.

"So, how's married life?" she asked lightly and Elphaba chuckled.

"It doesn't feel that different than before we were married in some ways," she admitted. "But in some ways… I can't explain it. But… I do have some news."

Nessa looked at her sister expectantly. "Really? What is it?"

Elphaba smiled. "Nessie, I'm pregnant."

Nessa gasped in delight, tears springing immediately to her eyes. "Oh, Fabala! Really?"

She nodded, so happy to be able to finally tell her little sister. "Really."

"How far along are you? When are you due?"

Elphaba absent-mindedly placed a hand on her stomach as she answered. "Four months. I'm due in May, two days after our wedding anniversary actually," she chuckled. When Izanami had told them that, Elphaba couldn't believe it.

"Four months?" Nessa looked surprised at that and Elphaba nodded.

"I wanted to wait before we said anything… just in case," she said apologetically, but Nessa understood.

"I'm so happy for you, Fabala."

Elphaba hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Nessie."

When Nessa looked more closely at her sister, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it as soon as she saw her. And when she said that, Elphaba laughed.

"I was surprised too. Everyone's already noticing, I can't hide it much."

Elphaba and Fiyero were staying in Munchkinland for three weeks, and it was the cause for much interest in Munchkinland, that the Prince and Princess of the Vinkus were in town. The strangest thing for Elphaba that for the first time in her childhood home, she didn't have to do anything about running the house or caring for Nessa- Nessa had a housekeeper, who also assisted her when needed.

And of course, there was Boq.

"Do you think marriage is on the cards for those two?" Fiyero asked her one night.

Elphaba sighed thoughtfully. Nessa and Boq had been together for two years now and it was obvious that the Munchkin boy made her sister very happy.

"Maybe," she admitted. "But Nessa's always said she'd never marry until she was thirty. Having Boq in her life won't change her mind on that, and she's only twenty-three."

"I wonder if Boq knows that?" Fiyero wondered.

When Fiyero broached the subject with him a few days later, he found Boq did indeed know that, and had no problem with waiting. Fiyero sympathised with his friend- yes he had always said he'd wait forever for Elphaba if he had to, but the prospect of waiting seven years was not appealing.

"Maybe it's a Thropp thing," Boq suggested and Fiyero laughed.

Although Fiyero too, was worried about the chance of something going wrong with the pregnancy, he was naturally a lot more positive and optimistic than Elphaba and couldn't help but be overjoyed at the thought of their unborn child and the beginning of their family.

On Lurlinemas Eve, Elphaba and Fiyero had walked down to Melena's grave. Elphaba hadn't been in so long, and with everything that was happening lately, she wanted to pay her respects to her mother.

"It's so strange to think she went through everything I'm going through now," Elphaba commented as she sat before her mother's tombstone.

"In what way?" Fiyero asked her and shrugged.

"I don't know anything about my birth except I was born green. No one ever talked about it, except to say what a big shock it was and how awful it must have been for my parents to have a green child."

"Well, it's not so awful from my point of view," Fiyero replied gently and she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Yero"

Fiyero smiled. "Are you still worried about the baby being green?" he asked her seriously.

Elphaba paused. "Not as much as I used to be," she confessed. "I'm more worried about something going wrong… as long as this baby is healthy, I won't mind."

Fiyero grinned proudly. "That's my girl."

His wife rolled her eyes again. "Don't expect me to be dancing for joy if he or she _is_ born like me," she warned him and he only laughed.

"I will," he teased her. "Are you ready to go back?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am."

Fiyero jumped up and helped Elphaba to her feet. He was alarmed as she abruptly paled and swayed on the spot.

"Fae? Are you okay? Morning sickness?" he asked worriedly and she nodded uncertainly.

"Must have been. I'm okay, just got dizzy for a second. Maybe I stood up too fast."

Fiyero nodded, it had happened before. "Ok. Come on, honey."

They slowly made their way back to the house and Elphaba went straight to the living room, where Nessa was reading quietly.

"Did you have a nice walk?" Nessa asked, putting the book aside as they came in.

"Yeah, it was fine," Elphaba replied, sitting down. "Do I smell something... odd?"

Nessa frowned. "Boq's mother sent over a pie, it could be that, but I don't think it smells strange. Boq's just serving it up now."

"Yum," Fiyero said eagerly. "I love pie."

The thought of pie made Elphaba's stomach turn and she shook her head. "None for me, thank you. I might go lie down for a while."

"Do you want some tea?" Fiyero asked her softly, knowing it sometimes settled her stomach, but she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I-"

Elphaba rose from the couch and the room spun. Before she could do or think anything else, she'd fainted. Fiyero lunged and just managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and he carefully lowered her onto the floor as Nessa gasped shrilly.

The noise brought Boq running in from the kitchen and he froze to see Elphaba lying on the floor.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Fiyero's face was pale as he shook his head. "I don't know… she just fainted."

"Do you want me to get Dr Jardine?" Boq asked.

Fiyero looked up gratefully. "That would be good, thanks Boq. Nessa, hand me that pillow from the sofa."

Her hands trembling, Nessa did so, and watched as Fiyero tenderly eased the pillow under Elphaba's head.

"Fiyero, there's- there's smelling salts in the downstairs bathroom," she said to her brother-in-law.

Fiyero immediately got up and ran to look for them, his mind a fog of panic. Fear for Elphaba and the baby clogged his chest and he had to remind himself that this was not like last time- there had been no blood that he could see and Elphaba had not complained of any pain.

By the time Boq returned with Dr Jardine, Elphaba had come round although she was pale and slightly groggy. Fiyero had moved her to lie on the sofa and she was just as afraid as he was. She had no idea what had happened, and was worried it meant that something was wrong with the baby.

"You know, Elphaba, if you wanted to visit, you know where I live," the old doctor teased her gently and she chuckled.

"Hello, doctor."

He set his bag down and looked at her carefully. "Now, tell me what happened. Boq said you fainted?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. I don't know what happened… I stood up and… that's all I remember."

Dr Jardine pulled out his stethoscope from his bag, nodding gently. "Ok. And how far along are you?"

Elphaba wasn't sure if Boq had told him she was pregnant or whether he could tell by her unusually rounded stomach, but she answered him nonetheless.

"Seventeen weeks."

Dr Jardine nodded again. "Alright. Fainting isn't an uncommon thing for women in your condition," he reassured her.

"It could be a sign of dehydration or fatigue… it doesn't mean there's anything to worry about. I assume there's a reason Boq was so insistent I come immediately?"

Elphaba swallowed hard, her eyes flickering to Fiyero.

"I- I had a miscarriage… a while ago," she said quietly and Dr Jardine's eyes saddened.

"I'm very sorry. How far along were you?"

"Twelve weeks," Fiyero answered and the doctor smiled encouragingly.

He asked Elphaba a few more questions and then sighed.

"Well, usually about eighteen weeks we can hear the heartbeat with the stethoscope. If I don't hear anything, that doesn't mean anything bad… it could just be too early. But I think it could just be a simple fainting spell."

Elphaba looked relieved and she gave a small nod. "Thank you."

Dr Jardine smiled. "Not at all. Now, let's see what we can hear, hmm?"

Boq spoke up awkwardly from where he and Nessa were hovering near the doorway. "Uh, do you want us to leave?"

Elphaba looked over and then saw Nessa's face. "No, it's okay."

Fiyero hastily grabbed a blanket to cover Elphaba's legs so that Dr Jardine could place his stethoscope on her stomach and Nessa wheeled herself closer to see what was going on.

Elphaba watched the doctor's face closely as he placed the stethoscope on her stomach and tried to hear something. She was reminding herself repeatedly that if he couldn't find anything, it was nothing to worry about, but when she saw him frown slightly, she couldn't supress a wave of panic.

"Is something wrong with the baby?" she asked faintly, clutching Fiyero's hand tightly

Dr Jardine removed the stethoscope and smiled at her. "No, Elphaba. The baby is just fine… they both are."

Everyone in the room stilled, staring at the doctor in stunned silence. Elphaba was the first to recover, even as she gaped at him.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" she asked faintly.

"Elphaba, there's two heartbeats," Dr Jardine replied happily and Elphaba stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you sure?"

He chuckled. "Very. Here… listen for yourself."

Tentatively, Elphaba placed the instrument in her ears and the doctor guided her to the spot on her stomach where she would be able to hear the first heartbeat. And after a moment, Elphaba could hear it- a quick, pulsating sound that brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh my Oz," she whispered and the doctor smiled.

"See that's one…. And here's the other."

Sure enough, there was an identical sound on the other side, and Elphaba was stunned. These were her children- _twins._

She pulled the ends of the stethoscope from her ears and handed it to Fiyero.

"Yero, listen," she urged.

Looking completely panicked, Fiyero didn't hear any of what was being said. Seeing this, Elphaba pinched him on the arm and he yelped and jumped.

"Ouch! Fae!"

"Listen to this," she ordered him and Fiyero obediently did so.

Elphaba wiped away a tear at the look of awe and wonder that spread across her husband's face as he heard the two heartbeats.

"Wow," he whispered, locking eyes with Elphaba who chuckled tearily.

"I suggest you just take it easy for the next day or two," Dr Jardine told her gently. "If anything happens, just send for me. And congratulotions."

"Thank you," Elphaba replied.

Boq showed the doctor out and then he and Nessa quietly retreated to give Elphaba and Fiyero a moment alone.

"Twins," Fiyero said dazedly after a long silence.

Elphaba nodded. "I know…."

She took a deep breath, one hand on her stomach. "This is crazy. _Twins, _Fiyero! How in Oz's name are we going to handle _two_ babies?"

"Carefully?" Fiyero suggested and Elphaba rolled her eyes, making him laugh.

"Fae, everything will be okay, we'll work it out. I love you," he said softly and she smiled softly.

"I love you too."

He kissed her gently, and then Boq cleared his throat from the doorway. "Uh, Fiyero- do you still want some pie?"

"Yes," Fiyero nodded firmly. He grinned as he stood up. "Pie and _twins_… this is like the best day _ever!"_

Elphaba only rolled her eyes exasperatedly.


	43. Chapter 43

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. So, to answer a question from monkey-in-a-tree, which I figured was easier to answer here so everyone knows: Yes, I am planning to write more Fiyerabas. I'm currently working on one (on chapter 5 atm), but I am also working on an NCIS fic too. Then there is a Harry Potter one which I haven't touched in a year, since I started writing Wicked... so I feel like I should probably try and do something with that... **

**I also have outlined plans for another 2 Fiyerabas, and ideally I'd like to do a few more "Once Upon a time" chapters and a few one-shots. But for the next 6 weeks, my main priority is finishing uni. But I promise you all, I'll get to them eventually. I never stop writing for long, because I go insane.**

**I was planning to update this morning, but I had an exam and uni and got an assignment back i was really worried about, so I figured this chapter would either needs reviews to cheer me up or to make a good day better. And I passed! So, hooray! Enjoy!**

**43**

Elphaba and Fiyero thoroughly enjoyed returning to the Vinkus after Lurlinemas and being able to tell everyone they were having twins. By the time they did, Fiyero's shock had definitely worn off and he was very smug and incredibly proud of himself for managing to impregnate his wife with twins.

Which would explain why his method of telling Micah the news was simply a smug,

"We beat you!"

Which had left Micah utterly confused before Elphaba told him and Galinda the news. Galinda had been rendered speechless with shock but completely thrilled.

And as news spread throughout the Vinkus, it became a massive cause for celebration. There had never, Ibrahim had informed Elphaba, _never _been twins born to the royal family before. And Izanami had suggested there must be twins on Elphaba's side, either through Frex's family or Melena's, but Elphaba had no idea if she was right or not.

Elphaba's stomach was huge by the time she was in her sixth month and Fiyero couldn't imagine how she could get any bigger. But they were both amazed when they began to first feel and then see their babies move and kick and Fiyero was once again, in awe of his wife. Even when the babies were relentlessly kicking her kidneys or spine or bladder, or when her feet swelled or she had heartburn or was sick, she never complained. She was so grateful that they had made it this far, that both babies were active and healthy, she would never complain of anything she was feeling.

Although the closer she got to her due date, the more impatient she was to actually have the babies and be a mother. She began to experience contractions by her birthday in March, and Izanami imposed her on strict bed rest. She couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom without having contractions, and she felt as though she could barely move.

"I need to get out of this room," she said forcefully to Fiyero, one morning in April.

"Fae, I know it's hard for you being in bed all the time," he began patiently, but she cut him off.

"No! I mean, yes, it's irritating and boring, but it's not that. It's Liadan's first birthday tomorrow. I'm her godmother. I can't miss her birthday," Elphaba begged him, her eyes pleading.

Fiyero tried very hard to resist giving in to that look. "Fae, you _can't." _

"Fiyero, come _on!_ What if I promised to not move?" she suggested and Fiyero groaned.

"Fae, you can't negotiate this. Auntie Iz will _kill _me. There's no way she'll allow it."

"So I'm supposed to just _miss _my goddaughter's first birthday?" she demanded.

"Lee won't know any different, she's only one," Fiyero said gently, but Elphaba shook her head.

"I'll know."

Fiyero sighed heavily.

He promised Elphaba he'd try and work something out, but knew that was right and Izanami would never allow it, it was too risky and she wanted Elphaba to get close to full-term as possible. He ran into Galinda that day, and when she asked after Elphaba, Fiyero grimaced.

"She's… restless. And she's insisting on going to Liadan's birthday tomorrow,"

Galinda gasped slightly. "She can't! She's on bed rest!"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Yes, you know that and I know that, and Elphaba knows that… but she's refusing to miss her goddaughter's first birthday."

Galinda was touched by her best friend's commitment, but knew that Elphaba shouldn't be up for anything.

Then suddenly, her eyes lit up. "I have an idea!"

The next day, Elphaba didn't waste any time before eagerly demanding what Fiyero had decided.

He sighed. "Elphaba, you can't be out of bed."

"I'm not missing-" Elphaba began hotly, but it was Fiyero's turn to cut her off.

"I didn't say you were going to have to miss Lee's birthday," he said gently. "I said I'd work something out and I did."

Elphaba frowned in confusion. "Yero?"

The door opened and Galinda skipped in, holding Liadan in one arm and a bunch of balloons in the other.

"Surprise!" she sang out. "We thought we'd move the location of Lee's birthday party so her wonderful, beautiful godmother could be here too!"

Elphaba was stunned. "Glin… this isn't exactly a great location for a party…"

Micah and Corin followed Galinda into the room, Micah carrying a cake and Corin, an armful of presents.

"It's perfect," Galinda insisted. "It's got the most important people in my daughter's life, that's all we need."

Elphaba smiled as she hugged Galinda tightly as best she could with her enormous stomach.

Elphaba, once she was restricted to bed, had given Kasmira and Fiyero full license to decorate the nursery, which meant she hadn't seen it yet and wouldn't see it until after the birth. She and Fiyero didn't know what exactly they were having, but they'd picked out names, and they were more than ready to meet their children.

It was one night in May, only eight days before Elphaba's due date, and it was unusually warm. Elphaba was uncomfortable enough at the best of times, but the heat was really getting to her lately and she was eternally thankful she would not be pregnant when summer truly set in.

Fiyero was sleeping heavily, his gentle snores filling the room. Elphaba was tired too, but she couldn't sleep. It wasn't just the heat or her discomfort, but a niggling feeling that told her that something was going to happen- soon.

She lay there for what felt like hours, stuck flat on her back and gently rubbing small circles on her belly. Eventually, the motion lulled her into a light sleep; and then suddenly, just as dawn was lighting the horizon, a sharp contraction rippled through her abdomen and Elphaba's eyes flew open as though she had been expecting it. She knew immediately what had happened, and despite the warning feeling she'd had, she still had to take a moment to calm herself from a wave of initial panic.

This was it.

"Fiyero?" she whispered gently once the pain had subsided, but Fiyero didn't stir.

"Yero," she repeated, slightly more urgently but Fiyero only uttered a loud snore.

"_Fiyero!" _

Fiyero jolted awake with a gasp, clutching his side where she had punched him. "Ouch! Elphaba! What the hell?" he cried indignantly.

"I had a contraction," she informed him and he groaned sleepily.

"Fae, you've been having contractions for _weeks_. You don't have to punch me," he muttered and she scowled at him.

"This is different," she insisted. "This is it."

He blinked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

Fiyero didn't doubt her and sat up quickly. "Ok. I'll send someone for Auntie Iz."

Izanami arrived promptly and suggested that Elphaba could get up and walk around to stimulate the labour. Elphaba was thrilled just to be out of bed, but surprised how weak she was.

"How long do you think this will take?" Elphaba asked Izanami.

"That my dear, depends on your children. And with Fiyero's genes-"

"Hey!" Fiyero protested and Izanami chuckled.

"Sweetheart, we waited eleven days after your mother's due date for you to make your grand entrance," she replied and Fiyero rolled his eyes as Elphaba grinned.

"That sounds likes him."

"I'm beginning to feel slightly insulted here," Fiyero complained and Elphaba laughed.

Everyone was stunned when Elphaba's waters broke just an hour later and her labour quickly progressed. Each contraction seemed to be closer, longer and more painful than the last and Elphaba was struggling to breathe through the pain.

"I _hate_ you," she said through gritted teeth, panting through another contraction.

Fiyero said nothing, both his father and Micah had warned him beforehand not to take anything Elphaba said whilst in labour personally. But he hated seeing her in pain, and felt completely useless.

Galinda dropped by around lunch time and was stunned when Ibrahim told her that Elphaba was in labour. She insisted on going upstairs to see her best friend and found her just riding out another contraction.

"Elphie? How are you?" she asked soothingly and Elphaba only moaned in response.

Izanami smiled at both girls. "She's doing wonderful. She's already nine centimetres dilated, and it's only been five hours. Hopefully, it won't be too much longer."

Galinda was envious, she'd been in labour for thirteen hours with Liadan; but then again, she admitted, she was only having one baby… and she definitely didn't envy Elphaba for that.

"Would it be alright if I stayed?" she asked them, glancing more at Fiyero than Elphaba, not wanting to intrude on their most private moment.

But Fiyero smiled faintly. "Sure, Glin."

The truth was, he felt better with Galinda there. At least she'd gone through childbirth, and would be more of a comfort to Elphaba than he was. As if reading his mind, Elphaba squeezed his hand, not from pain, but in comfort and he kissed the back of her hand softly in reply.

As Galinda hurried off to send a message to Micah so he knew where she was, Elphaba tugged Fiyero forward and kissed him.

"I don't hate you," she whispered and he grinned.

"I know, green girl. I'm sorry you're in pain," he murmured, his eyes anguished and she smiled.

"It's worth it."

It wasn't long before Izanami announced she could begin pushing, and with Fiyero holding one hand, and Galinda holding the other, Elphaba did as requested.

"Alright, Elphaba… I can see the head," Izanami exclaimed triumphantly. "One more big push, okay?"

Elphaba nodded, but she couldn't say anything. She was exhausted, in pain, and dying of thirst. But she set her jaw determinedly and pushed, stifling a small whimper and closing her eyes tightly as the pain grew more immense.

"Ok, head's out… shoulders…. It's a girl!"

Izanami was beaming as she sang it out, and Elphaba's eyes shot open as a thin wail filled the room, and she looked up to see her daughter being held up before her.

"Oh!" she gasped, completely stunned.

The little girl looked almost exactly as the vision of Mena Elphaba had seen after her miscarriage and the resemblance was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Even without the resemblance to the big sister she would never know, she was absolutely beautiful and more tiny and delicate than Elphaba could have imagined.

Fiyero looked awestruck, and couldn't believe not only that the tiny person in Izanami's arms had been made by him and Elphaba; but that she had just come out of his wife and would be followed by another very quickly.

"Sweet Oz," he murmured and Elphaba chuckled tearily.

"Yero, come cut the umbilical cord," Izanami ordered him quietly. "Galinda, do you want to clean her whilst I get ready for the next one?"

Galinda did, but hesitated. "One second."

She gestured to Elphaba minutely, and Izanami smiled as she realised what Galinda meant.

"Of course."

Fiyero cut the umbilical cord with a shaking hand, and Izanami carried the baby around the bed and placed her in Elphaba's arms.

"Here you go, sweetheart. Meet your daughter."

Galinda was beaming happily, she knew from experience what a magical moment it was to hold your child for the first time, and she wouldn't take that moment from Elphaba for anything.

Elphaba choked back a soft sob as her daughter was placed in her arms and the little girl's eyes flickered open to see who was holding her.

"Hi, pretty girl," Elphaba murmured, so softly no one except the baby would be able to hear.

And then she felt a familiar tightening in her stomach and grimaced at Izanami, who nodded.

"Alright, I think she's about to become a big sister. Galinda, take the baby please."

Galinda hastily did so, and Fiyero laced his fingers with Elphaba's for support as she braced herself to push again.

"Ready, Elphaba? And push!"

Elphaba squeezed Fiyero's hand instinctively as she did so, and let out a breath slowly as she pushed with all her remaining strength. Again, the pain became more immense, and she let out a gasp as the pressure mounted and then suddenly there was an abrupt release and once again, the cry of an infant sounded out.

"And it's a boy!"

Elphaba's first thought upon seeing her son was how much he looked like Fiyero. He was bigger than his sister and his cries were definitely louder, but he quickly quietened when Izanami handed him over to his mother.

"Here you go, Elphie," Galinda gushed happily, suddenly appearing at her side and handing back the girl baby, now freshly cleaned and wrapped in a blanket.

It was a strange feeling for Elphaba, to be holding both her babies in her arms at once and when she looked at Fiyero, he could only stare, tears in his eyes.

"Are they okay?" Elphaba asked Izanami, who had quietly been taking care of the placentas whilst Elphaba was otherwise distracted.

She smiled warmly. "They both have good lungs on them," she chuckled. "Why don't I check them over quickly?"

Elphaba nodded and reluctantly relinquished her hold on her children.

"I'm going to go tell your parents and Micah," Galinda said excitedly to Fiyero, kissing both him and Elphaba quickly. "Congratulotions, they're both exquisite. And I want to know names, as soon as I come back, got it?"

Elphaba laughed softly as Galinda disappeared in a whirlwind of blonde curls and looked tiredly and happily over at her husband.

"What do you think?"

He shook his head slightly as he leaned down in kissed her. "I love you," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"I love you too," she replied softly.

Then he grinned faintly. "And at least I'll always be able to tell them apart."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but then stifled a yawn as her eyes drifted shut. "We have to name them…"

He nodded and kissed her gently. "Later, green girl. Get some rest first."

He murmured something else in her ear, but Elphaba didn't hear. She was already asleep, a small content smile on her face.

**AN. I thought I'd write a quick, drama free birth for once!**

**Only one more chapter to go after this! I can't believe it...**


	44. Chapter 44

**DISCLAIMER: I (unfortunately) have no claim to **_**Wicked, **_**other than to be eternally grateful to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman and Gregory Maguire for creating it in the first place; Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for being amazingly talented; Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack and the entire Australian cast for being phenomenal; and to whichever realm of Fate brought the story of Elphaba into my life to fill the gaping **_**Harry Potter **_**hole in my soul.**

**AN. Sorry for the delay- between my last week of uni and being sick, I hadn't got around to it. **

**So here we are at the end... it's funny looking back at 'Far Longer than forever' and reading that I didn't think I'd be able to write much this year due to uni... and this is my third major fic for the year, plus a few one-shots! **

**But I do like how the posting/writing of each of the three somehow coincides with my prac teaching. Next week I start my last lot of prac teaching, 5 weeks worth and my first time teaching English! So I'm a little nervous... **

**but thank you so much to everyone who has read, reviewed and supported me not only with my stories but through uni this year. Who knows where I'll be by the time I post my next fic, but I'll keep you posted through twitter, and I'll make any big changes on my profile. **

**44**

One afternoon in August, Fiyero stilled in the entrance to Mena's garden, a soft smile on his face as he looked at the sight before him. Elphaba was sitting on a bench, her eyes closed against the warm sun and her head titled back. One bare green foot gently pushed the double pram softly backwards and forwards, and she still wore the chocolate brown dress she'd worn to the twins christening that day.

The sight was almost perfect, and Fiyero felt his heart ache slightly. They had picked the day for christening for what would have been Mena's third birthday, and it was for that reason Fiyero wasn't surprised to find his wife in the garden now.

"The twins asleep?" he asked softly as he approached, not wanting to wake them if they were.

Elphaba opened her eyes and smiled wryly. "I think _I'm _closer to being asleep than they are."

Fiyero chuckled as he sat down beside her and looked into the pram. His son and daughter blinked back at him, relentlessly not tiring.

"Do you want me to take them inside?" he asked her quietly but she shook her head.

"No, they're alright for now. If they start fussing, then they can go inside."

Fiyero nodded, smiling at how the twins were holding hands loosely as they lay side by side in the pram.

Even at three months, you could tell the twins had very different personalities and even physical differences. Both twins had Elphaba's large brown eyes and Fiyero's brown hair, and that was where the similarities ended.

Princess Isibeal Galinda Zofie Tiggular, two minutes older and already being affectionately known as 'Beal' by her father, grandfather and godfather, was smaller than her brother and almost a carbon copy of Elphaba, except that she had Fiyero's chin. Her eyes were larger and the little brown hair that covered her head was already beginning to curl. She was also the quieter of the two and would sit quietly in whoever's arms and simply watch the world around her.

There were times Fiyero swore she was already giving him her mother's patented pointed stare, which was usually followed by an eye roll- which at three months, Isibeal couldn't quite master yet. Isibeal also had inherited her mother's stubbornness, if she was tired or hungry or didn't want to be held, she would let you know- loudly. It was only Elphaba who could calm her when she was like that and Fiyero dreaded what would happen once she learned to talk.

Prince Eitan Iacobus Fiyero Tiggular was definitely his father's son. He didn't so strikingly resemble Fiyero as he had after he was born, his nose and ears were more Elphaba than Fiyero. In terms of personality, he was much more laid-back and happy-go-lucky like Fiyero, and although he was younger, he already seemed incredibly protective of his sister. If she was unhappy, so was he; but unlike Isibeal, Eitan was quickly settled with anything edible- including, one memorable time, his own fist.

Elphaba and Fiyero were slowly getting used to their new roles of parents of twins. In the beginning, Elphaba had insisted on not having any help, but Fiyero had convinced her after a month to take his parents up on their offer of hiring a nanny.

"You won't be any good to them if you're running yourself into the ground and not taking care of yourself," he scolded her gently, seeing how exhausted she was, and finally, she had conceded.

The nanny wasn't there all the time, just when Elphaba and Fiyero needed some much-deserved rest.

Naming their children had been relatively easy. Isibeal was named after Fiyero's grandmother, Ibrahim's mother, to whom the music room that was now Elphaba's had belonged to. And her middle names, of course, were after her doting godmother and in honour of the little girl who Elphaba had been so close to and who had loved nothing more than the idea of her teacher being a princess.

Eitan was an old Vinkun name that Elphaba had found and loved. Iacobus was a name Elphaba distantly recalled _somehow_, that her mother had been planning to call Nessarose if she had been a boy. And when they'd been searching for a third name, Elphaba had suggested they name him after Fiyero.

Elphaba had found that Kasmira was right, and that seeing her children and holding them did heal a lot of wounds that had been caused by the loss of Mena. She was completely in love with her children and more at peace than she was sure she had ever been. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't relieved that neither of the twins' had inherited her unique skin colour.

And Fiyero absolutely adored being a father and seeing Elphaba with their children. Although at first he had been completely terrified the first time he'd held the twins, not to mention holding them both at the same time, he had quickly found his feet. And he wasn't alone- Ibrahim and Kasmira adored their new roles as grandparents and were already constantly spoiling them.

Micah and Galinda, as godparents, were also almost a constant presence at Kiamo Ko. Galinda insisted that Liadan and Isibeal would be best friends, to which Elphaba only laughed. The christening was Nessa and Boq's first time seeing the twins, and Nessa had burst into tears the first time she'd held her niece and nephew.

Isibeal broke the silence between her parents by letting out a soft whimper, demanding affection, a trait which was definitely from her father. Elphaba obediently lifted her out of the pram and settled her into the crook of her arm.

"What's wrong with you, pretty girl? Your brother isn't good enough company for you?" she murmured softly, running a finger against the soft velvet baby skin of her hand.

Eitan let out an indignant cry and Fiyero laughed. "I think he's insulted by that insinuation."

Elphaba looked at her husband as he picked up Eitan expertly and carelessly and casually wiped a line of drool off their son's face with his thumb and laughed.

"What?" he looked at her in confusion.

Elphaba only giggled. "If all your fan girls could see you now," she teased him. "The scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular, wiping drool off a baby with his hands."

Fiyero grinned. "Hey, I'll have you know, babies are major chick magnets… according to Corin," he admitted.

Elphaba smirked. "Yes, babies are. They can get away with being covered in drool. _You_, unfortunately, sweetheart, cannot pull the same look off."

Fiyero laughed, and leaned over to kiss her. "You can."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Yero."

They heard footsteps approaching the garden and then their nanny, Jescha entered, curtseying quickly before approaching them.

"Good afternoon, your Majesties. I was just wondering if you wanted me to put the twins down?"

Elphaba hesitated. The twins had been fed and changed and were more than likely to go down for a nap soon anyway, and she was enjoying being out in the sunshine.

"That would be great, thank you, Jescha," she said finally and planted a soft kiss on Isibeal and Eitan's heads before Jescha took them inside, replacing them gently in the pram and pushing it towards the castle.

Elphaba sighed slightly as she leaned into Fiyero and he lazily ran his fingers through her hair.

"So, I remembered something the other day," Fiyero said quietly and she looked up at him.

"Oh?"

"Do you remember that sort of vision you had at Lurlinemas our first year together?"

Elphaba thought for a moment, and then it came to her, the feeling of utter contentment that had washed over her as she and Fiyero danced.

"I remember," she said softly.

"So, has it come true yet?" he asked teasingly and she smirked at him.

"Are you fishing for compliments, Mr Tiggular?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am, Mrs Tiggular," he replied cheerfully, bending his head and kissing her gently.

"Well, if I recall, I didn't say that I was going to be happy, I said that _we _were going to be happy," she reminded him.

"Well, I'm pretty happy," he murmured and she laughed.

"So am I," she whispered and Fiyero kissed her again.

"There you two are!"

The couple drew apart as Galinda, Nessa and Boq entered the garden and came to join them.

"Were we interrupting something?" Nessa asked carefully, but her older sister shook her head with a gentle smile.

"Just enjoying the sunshine, Nessa."

"It's so beautiful here," Boq said appreciatively.

"Yes, it is. And so full of memories… like that spot there where Nessa and I walked in on Galinda and Micah making out," Elphaba said cheerfully, pointing to said spot and Galinda flushed bright red.

"_Elphie!"_

Her friends laughed at her as she spluttered in embarrassment. "That's not even what we were doing!" Galinda protested.

"What _were_ you doing then? Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?" Elphaba demanded and Galinda blushed.

"What about you and Fiyero at my wedding reception?" Galinda demanded hotly.

Fiyero sighed at the memory. "Oh, good times," he said wistfully and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Boq grinned as he produced the bottle of champagne and glasses he'd taken from the kitchen, pouring it into glasses and handing them out, being careful to give Elphaba only a small amount, which she accepted gratefully.

"I'd like to propose a toast," he announced. "To Isibeal and Eitan Tiggular, officially second and third in line to the Vinkun throne!"

"To there being a fourth and maybe fifth in line," Fiyero grinned, making eye contact with Elphaba.

"To love," Galinda beamed.

Elphaba smiled softly as she met Fiyero's eyes. "To taking chances," she added in a whisper and they all clinked glasses.

The End

**AN. Again, thank you for reading. Until we meet again!**


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